Wilson Reading System^® courses

This 16.5-hour course provides participants with an overview of the Wilson Reading System (WRS) and serves as the prerequisite for WRS Level I Certification Training. This course examines the intensive intervention reading instruction necessary for students in grades two and above with persistent and significant phonological-coding deficits. Participants learn about dyslexia (indicators, misconceptions, neurobiological aspects, and prevalence), typical versus atypical reading acquisition, appropriate student identification and placement, and key components and principles of instruction, including the factors necessary for high-quality program implementation. How to teach phonology (including phonemic awareness), morphology, and orthography in an integrated, explicit, systematic, and multisensory way is demonstrated and practiced during the course. Participants explore the standard ten-part WRS Lesson Plan and practice planning, delivering, and individualizing a WRS Lesson while receiving modeling and feedback from a Wilson^® Credentialed Trainer (W.C.T.).

Prerequisite None

Duration 3 consecutive days (16.5 hours) or 30-day access (16.5) for asynchronous version

Graduate Credit One graduate credit (optional) is available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see Process for Graduate Credit for details.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Define dyslexia and understand its prevalence and impact on the acquisition of reading skills and cognitive processes.
• Explain the process of identifying students with a language-based learning disability, such as dyslexia, or other characteristics that indicate the need for intensive, multisensory instruction with the WRS.
• Understand the Response to Intervention (RTI) model and how to implement it.
• Demonstrate understanding of the key components of WRS instruction: alphabetic knowledge, rapid naming skills/word retrieval, sound-symbol relationships, word identification, accuracy, automaticity, phonology, morphology, orthography, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Demonstrate understanding of the WRS principles of instruction: direct, explicit, structured, sequential, integrated, multisensory, synthetic, analytical, diagnostic, prescriptive, mastery/automaticity, cumulative, metacognitive, and emotionally sound.
• Identify the lesson components and procedures for Lesson Block 1 (word study/foundational reading skills), Lesson Block 2 (spelling/foundational writing skills), and Lesson Block 3 (fluency/comprehension) of the WRS Lesson Plan.
• Practice and prepare a ten-part WRS Lesson Plan.

Participants may enroll in the WRS Level I Certification Training or the online course WRS Intensive Instruction for the Non-Responsive Reader (Steps 1-6) within five years of completing a WRS Introductory Course.

Materials

• WRS Introductory Course Manual (synchronous version)
• WRS Lesson Plan Practice Resources (synchronous version)
• Access to course via Wilson Academy
• WRS Introductory Set (recommended)
• Wilson Academy^® Wilson Reading System Learning Community membership provided after completion of course (12-month access)

Completion Requirements

• Attend/complete all 16.5 hours of course
• Participate in all instructor-led course activities (synchronous version)
• A total of eight online assessments with 15 questions in each; score of 80% is required to proceed; first test submission is score of record (asynchronous version)
• Knowledge checks and activities embedded throughout online course; participation is required to proceed in course (asynchronous version)
• Write and practice the ten-part WRS Lesson Plan
• Provide feedback via the course evaluation form
• With both versions, participants will receive Acknowledgement of Completion certificates (AOC) for completing the course

This online course presents, in detail, the multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction that is required for teaching students in grades two and beyond with significant word-level deficits who are unresponsive to previous instruction (due to dyslexia and/or other characteristics that indicate the need for intensive, multisensory instruction). The Wilson Reading System (WRS) Intensive Instruction for the Non responsive Reader: (Steps 1–6) Online Course provides practical application of reading research, with particular emphasis on alphabetic knowledge, phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics (sound-symbol relationships), rapid naming skills/word retrieval, and spelling at the beginning levels of decoding and encoding. It also provides specific procedures to teach the concepts presented in Steps 1–6 of the Wilson Reading System, including instruction on the following syllable types: closed, vowel-consonant-e, open, and final stable. The course includes additional topics on diagnostic teaching and differentiating instruction, program pacing, high frequency word instruction, vocabulary instruction, fluency instruction, dyslexia, typical reading development versus dyslexia, listening and reading comprehension strategies, use of differentiated texts, and handwriting.

Prerequisites WRS Introductory Course (completed within the last five years)

Duration 90 hours; must be completed within 12 months

Graduate Credit Up to six graduate credits (optional) are available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see Process for Graduate Credit for details.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the research base for MSL teaching.
• Understand the Response to Intervention model and how to implement it.
• Understand the necessary principles of instruction used to teach students with a language­ based learning disability: direct, explicit, systematic, structured, sequential, integrated, multisensory, synthetic, analytical, diagnostic, prescriptive, mastery/automaticity, cumulative, metacognitive, and emotionally sound.
• Understand the nature of dyslexia (indicators/identification, neurobiological aspects, and prevalence).
• Understand the factors involved in the acquisition of literacy skills.
• Understand the instruction and importance of transcription skills.
• Know word structure, including phonemes and associated graphemes, syllables, syllabication rules, morphemes, schwa, etc.
• Understand variances in students’ vocabulary acquisition as well as learning expectations.
• Know the importance of core and academic (general and domain-specific) vocabulary and understand research-based instructional methods for all students, including English learners.
• Know how to appropriately select and teach vocabulary within an MSL lesson.
• Know the importance of fluency as well as factors contributing to its development.
• Understand differentiation of fluency instruction for students with significant deficits.
• Understand the different graphic organizers for varied types of informational texts (description, compare-contrast, etc.).
• Know the importance of oral language comprehension and explain how to differentiate instruction with individuals as indicated by their cognitive profile.
• Identify the instructional implications associated with different cognitive skill deficits.

Materials

• Wilson Reading System^® (WRS) Intensive Instruction Online Course (Steps 1–6) (access granted upon registration for the course)
• Articles, reading assignments within the online course, as assigned (assignments subject to updates/change)
• Wilson Academy^® Wilson Reading System Learning Community membership (12-month access)
• Wilson Reading System^® Instructor Manual Steps 1–6, 4th Edition (NOTE: This manual is included in the WRS Introductory Set Steps 1–6, 4th Edition)
• Wilson Reading System^® Introductory Set Steps 1–6, 4th Edition (strongly recommended)

Completion Requirements

• Completion of all online course modules, including videos, activities, and assigned required reading.
• Participation in six different threaded discussion topics (if seeking college credit). Responses must be posted as a thread. Discussion topics are posted in the Discussion Board in the Intensive Learning Community at Wilson Academy.
• Successful completion of all nine online assessments with a grade of 80% or better: WRS Lesson Plan Review, Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Topics I, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6, and Topics II

NOTE: These assessments are self-paced. Once an assessment has been submitted electronically, responses cannot be
changed. While it is possible to retake an assessment, it should be noted that the first grade assigned for any assessment will be the grade of record.

Upon Completion Successful completion of this course, when combined with the WRS Steps 1-6 Practicum, will result in WRS Level I Certification with eligibility for the Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner (W.D.P.) credential.

Registration Individuals interested in this professional learning offering can register online. This registration is for the online course only, without certification.

• WRS Level I Certification involves online coursework and this web-based practicum containing observations with a Wilson^® Credentialed Trainer (W.C.T.). Participants should be comfortable with the use of computers.

  Registration

  Please review the WRS Level I Certification information, this description in full, and the technical requirements directly below prior to registration, as the commitment is considerable. It is highly recommended that you have a practicum student in mind who appears to fit the selection criteria.

  Please note that capacity for this option is limited, dependent on trainer availability.

  If you are interested in pursuing online certification, you may register online.

  Requirements for Web-Based Practicum

  The online certification option requires completion of specific activities to support the web-based training model. These activities are in addition to the regular WRS Level I Certification requirements. Individuals have 12 months from the date of enrollment to complete the online course and practicum.

  • Complete Technology Walkthrough Appointment with assigned Wilson^® Credentialed Trainer.
  • Be observed five times teaching the practicum student via web-conferencing software designated by Wilson Language Training. Each observation is scheduled with the Wilson^® Credentialed Trainer and lasts approximately 60-75 minutes.
  • Submit all required paperwork associated with observation appointments as outlined in the Web-based Practicum Observation Checklists

  Technical Requirements for Online Observations

  For web-based observations, participants must have a computer system with speakers, an external webcam, and microphone functionality (through computer or integrated into webcam). The computer system must meet the following specifications:

  External Webcam: Hue HD Webcams are recommended and can be purchased from www.huehd.com. Cameras that are integrated into laptops do not serve the needs of online observations.

  CPU: 1 GHz processor minimum, 1.5 GHz processor recommended

  Memory: 512 MB RAM

  Operating System: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1; MAC OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher

  Disk Space: 50 MB minimum required for installation; additional space recommended

  Connection: USB 2.0 or 3.0 recommended (USB 1.1 compatible)

  Resolution: 800 x 600 Supported; 1024 x 768 or higher recommended

  Video/Sound Card: 16 bit or higher; DirectX 9.0 or higher required

  These requirements represent minimum specifications provided by the current web-conferencing software designated by Wilson Language Training and are subject to change.

  Selection Criteria

  The practicum student must meet the following criteria and be approved by Wilson Language Training before instruction begins.

  • In or entering grades 4–12 (grade 3 approved if student has been retained).
  • Overall cognitive ability in average range (minimum IQ = 80).
  • Overall reading must be ranked in the 5^th to 30^th percentile with a minimum total reading score of grade 2.0.
  • Student’s listening comprehension ability is higher than independent reading comprehension.
  • Student has poor decoding and spelling skills.
  • Student must be available to be scheduled for a minimum of three to four 45-minute lessons or two to three 60–90 minute lessons per week (one-on-one).
  • The practicum student must not have any previous Wilson instruction.

  Whether the criteria is met should be determined from school records and current testing. Testing results used to select practicum student must be no more than six months old.

  For practicum student approval, the WIST (Word Identification and Spelling Test) plus another formal reading test must be administered and results submitted to your supervising Wilson trainer. Any of the following is suggested:

  • Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – R
  • Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – III
  • Woodcock-Johnson^® IV Tests of Achievement
  • Woodcock-Johnson^® III Diagnostic Reading Battery
  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test^® II or III

  A similar individualized reading assessment may be substituted if it provides information regarding decoding, comprehension, and total reading. Prior approval from Wilson Language Training is required.

  The practicum situation works best when the selected student has a consistent attendance record and does not have overriding emotional or behavioral issues.

This three-day (15-hour) course provides strategies, modeling, and practice as participants learn about the critical aspects of WRS small-group instruction, including how to optimally deliver WRS Lesson Blocks 1, 2, and 3. Participants learn about advanced and differentiated instruction for students to further develop vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency skills. This course prepares participants to implement WRS in a small-group setting, teaches how to properly monitor student progress, and provides the prerequisite for the WRS Group Mastery Practicum.

Prerequisites

• WRS Level I Certification
• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field

Duration Three consecutive days (15 hours)

Graduate Credit

One graduate credit (optional) is available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see Process for Graduate Credit for details.

Course Objectives

• Understand the necessary principles of instruction used to teach students with a language­-based learning disability: direct, explicit, systematic, structured, sequential, integrated, multisensory, synthetic, analytical, diagnostic, prescriptive, mastery/automaticity, cumulative, metacognitive, and emotionally sound.
• Identify factors for successful WRS small-group instruction.
• Review the planning for and execution of WRS Lesson Blocks 1, 2, and 3 for maximum small ­group success.
• Discuss important considerations for individuals with disabilities in relation to Common Core State Standards.
• Understand key considerations for determining appropriate grouping/differentiation of students for MSL instruction.
• Learn how to set up a successful small-group environment.
• Define and identify core and academic vocabulary and understand how to integrate into WRS lessons.
• Learn group management and tips for use throughout WRS lessons.
• Deepen understanding of schwa and how to teach it for reading and spelling.
• Learn group administration procedures for End-of-Step Assessment and procedures to determine appropriate group progression through WRS Steps.
• Explain the different purposes of controlled decodable and non-controlled readable text in the development of fluency.
• Describe three factors of text complexity and explain key factors of quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Practice WRS Comprehension S.O.S.™ and close reading instruction.
• Learn comprehension progression in detail for the Steps of WRS, including comprehension strategies employed for the initial phase of WRS comprehension continuum.
• Understand the importance of listening comprehension instruction with enriched text.
• Describe different types of narrative and informational texts used in WRS Instruction.
• Develop different types of comprehension questions, including some that are word, rather than text, dependent.
• Explain the dimensions of Interactive Comprehension Modeling.
• Determine how fluency is measured including Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM), accuracy and prosody, and instruction.
• Develop fluency instruction lessons that include phrasing and prosody.
• Develop a word-conscious lesson.
• Determine how to incorporate complex text in both literary and informational text structures.
• Apply normative data to determine appropriate fluency instruction.
• Learn how to determine appropriate text and task to foster the development of fluency.
• Develop strategies to encourage student independence with written work.

Course Components

Session 1

• Need for Intensive Intervention
• Factors for Successful WRS Small-Group Instruction
• Creating Word Consciousness
• WRS Lesson Block 1 – Focus on Small-Group Implementation

Session 2

• Practice WRS Lesson Block 1
• WRS Lesson Block 2 in a Small-Group Setting
• Schwa
• End-of-Step Assessment in a Small-Group Setting

Session 3

• Block 3: Part 9 – Focus on Small-Group Implementation
• Block 3: Part 10 – Focus on Initial Phase & Group Implementation
• Fluency Instruction in Block 3
• WRS Group Mastery Practicum & WRS Level II Certification

Materials

• WRS Instructor Manual Steps 1–6
• Wilson® Assessment of Decoding and Encoding (WADE)
• WRS Dictation Book Steps 1–6
• WRS Student Readers 1–3
• WRS Letter-Sound Cards (Substeps 1.3–3.1)
• WRS Word Element & Syllable Cards
• WRS Word Cards (Substeps 1.3–3.1)
• WRS High Frequency Word Cards (Substeps 2.4–3.1)
• Magnetic Journal with Letter Tiles (set up for WRS Substep 3.1)
• WRS Rules Notebook (optional)
• WRS Student Portfolio (optional)
• Blank Index Cards

Completion Requirements

• Attend all three days of the course
• Participate in all course activities, including WRS lesson procedure practice for small-group instruction
• Provide workshop feedback via the course evaluation form

This practicum requires successful delivery of a minimum of 50 lessons with an approved group of three to four students reaching WRS Substep 3.1 or higher, and submission of at least three video­ recorded lessons for observation and feedback.

Registration

Individuals interested in this professional learning offering can register online. We recommend that you review the course information below and contact us if you have any questions.

Schools and districts interested in exploring the option of including Wilson Reading System® Level II Certification for their teachers as part of a professional learning implementation plan are encouraged to contact us to start the discussion.

Prerequisites

• Wilson Reading System^® (WRS) Level I Certification
• Participants must enroll in the practicum within 3 years of completing the WRS Advanced Strategies for MSL Group Instruction Course.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Education (or related field)

Duration

• All coursework must be completed within 15 months
• 75 (minimum) practicum instruction hours
• 10 hours of required reading

Graduate Credit

Three graduate credits (optional) are available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see the Process for Graduate Credit for details.

Course Objectives

• Identify the characteristics of dyslexia and related language-based learning disabilities.
• Know principles from psychology that impact teaching and learning and understand how these relate to multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction.
• Use assessments to identify students with word-level deficits who are appropriate for an intensive intervention in a small, homogeneous group setting.
• Diagnostically plan and deliver group lessons while addressing and understanding individual areas of weakness that impact the ability to learn to read and write.
• Understand how to create more systematic and scaffolded instruction, as needed, for students within a small-group setting.
• Plan and conduct small-group lessons that address the individual needs within the group while fostering a positive instructional climate and setting clearly established rules and routines.
• Guide students to correct errors through questioning and the use of their notebooks.
• Appropriately pace a small group of students through the curriculum, developing mastery of material taught and designing group lessons that focus on accuracy, automaticity, and fluency of word and text reading.
• Effectively deliver MSL techniques, demonstrating explicit teaching, modeling, guided practice, appropriate feedback, and consistent review in lessons in the small-group setting.
• Deepen skills developed in the WRS Level I Certification including:
  • Understand language processes and how they impact the development of proficient readers and writers: phonological, orthographic, morphologic, semantic, syntactic, and discourse.
  • Successfully incorporate the following areas of reading instruction during WRS lessons: alphabetic knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics (sound-symbol relationships), word structure, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
  • Accurately teach the structure of the English language (presented in WRS Steps 1-6): consonant and vowel phonemes, syllable structure, common orthographic rules and spelling patterns, common Latin prefixes, suffixes, and base elements.
  • Identify printed words that do not follow the rules of English and incorporate multisensory structured language techniques for students to learn how to correctly read and spell these words.
  • Develop students’ fluency skills through modeling, repeated and wide reading, and practice of penciling technique for phrasing.
  • Develop students’ listening comprehension with narrative and informational text through instruction in using Wilson Comprehension S.O.S.^TM
  • Develop students’ reading comprehension by engaging in interactive oral reading, the use of text notations, and the identification of text structures.
  • Administer pre-and post-testing assessments to document student growth in word attack, spelling, comprehension, reading fluency, and broad reading skills.

Course Components

• Access to practicum course resources, including Practicum Study Guide and three live 1:1 meetings with assigned trainer
• Successful delivery of 50 full lessons (at minimum) with an approved group of three to four students reaching Substep 3.1 or higher
• Submission of three video-recorded lessons for observation and feedback

Materials

• WRS Group Mastery Practicum Dashboard (provided)
• WRS Group Mastery Practicum Required Reading (included with course)
• WRS Introductory Set 4th Edition
• WRS Student Readers Steps 1–6 4th Edition for each student
• End-of-Step Assessment Materials 4th Edition for each student
• Magnetic Journal with Letter Tiles 4th Edition for each student
• WRS Student Portfolio 4th Edition for each student and three-ring binder to create Teacher Binder

Completion Requirements

• Submit a pretesting report, including educational history and current test results of each practicum student.
• Conduct small-group student instruction with a minimum of 50 full WRS lessons in accordance with the WRS Group Mastery Practicum Study Guide and provide documentation of written lesson plans.
• Submit a minimum of three video-recorded lessons for observational review and feedback.
• Develop Teacher Binder, Student Portfolios, and students’ written work in accordance with Wilson Language Training® program standards.
• Develop and maintain an End-of-Step Assessment Class Summary Chart.
• Demonstrate mastery of lesson plan procedures with an emphasis on both accuracy and fluency (documented and approved by Wilson Trainer) delivered in a group setting.
• Demonstrate understanding of language concepts through accurate teaching with multisensory procedures to a group of students.
• Demonstrate student success and mastery of decoding, encoding, and comprehension skills for a group of students documented with Wordlist Charts, Dictation Work, and End-of-Step Assessment Student Progression Forms and My Step Progress booklets.
• Conduct post-testing and submit the Group Mastery Practicum Students Final Report and additional required documents after a minimum of SO lessons and achievement of WRS Substep 3.1.
• Complete and submit the WRS Group Mastery Practicum Required Reading Exam.

Advanced coursework provides in-depth strategies to implement multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction. This 60-hour online course provides instruction in advanced concepts of decoding and encoding to effectively use multisensory techniques to teach more complicated structures of the English language. The Advanced Word Study course is aligned with the systematic sequence of Wilson Reading System^® (WRS) Steps 7–12, including spelling option procedures, contractions, and additional affixes, Latin bases, and Greek combining forms as well as the following syllable types: R-controlled Syllable and Double Vowel “D” Syllable (vowel digraphs and diphthongs). Detailed instruction is provided for each of the substeps through video demonstrations, animations, text, printable materials, and assessments.

Prerequisites

• Completion of WRS Intensive Instruction: Online Course (Steps 1-6) or WRS Level I Certification
• Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field

Duration

• 60 hours of online coursework
• Must be completed within 15 months

Graduate Credit

Three graduate credits (optional) are available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see the Process for Graduate Credit  for details.

Course Objectives

• Learn specific procedures to teach the concepts presented in WRS Steps 7–12: alphabetic knowledge, consonant and vowel phonemes (phonological and phonemic awareness), syllable segmentation and structure (phonological awareness), sound-symbol relationships, common orthographic rules and advanced spelling patterns, including spelling option procedures, common Latin and Greek-based word elements, including bases, prefixes and suffixes (affixes), etc.
• Deepen understanding of advanced word structure and its instruction with students who have significant word-level deficits.
• Master the terminology and gain knowledge about the instructional implications of phonologic, morphologic, and orthographic aspects of the English language.
• Deepen understanding of lesson planning and how to individualize instruction to meet the needs of students receiving an increasingly advanced multisensory structured language program.
• Increase understanding of how to effectively teach students about academic vocabulary by developing morphological awareness, specifically Latin bases and Greek combining forms.

Materials

• Required: High-speed internet access
• Recommended:
  • WRS Advanced Set Steps (7–12) 4th Edition
    • Instructor Manual Steps 7–12
    • Dictation Book Steps 7–12
    • Word Element & Syllable Cards Steps 7–12
    • Word Cards Steps 7–12
    • Student Readers Steps 7–12
    • Baseline and End-of-Step Assessment Materials Steps 7–12
    • Student Portfolio (notebook, vocabulary section, and dictation notebook)
• WADE 4th Edition
• WRS Rules Notebook Steps 1–12 4th Edition
• Magnetic Journal with Letter Tiles 4th Edition
• WRS Letter-Sound Cards 4th Edition

Completion Requirements

• Completion of all online course modules, including videos, activities, and assigned required reading.
• Completion of eight online assessments for course components. Participant must receive a grade of 80% or higher on each assessment to progress through course and complete each module. The course modules and the assessments are self-paced. Once an assessment has been submitted electronically, responses cannot be changed. While it is possible to retake an assessment, it should be noted that the first grade assigned for any assessment will be the grade of record.
• Participation in online discussion boards is required if applying for graduate level college credit.

Registration Individuals interested in this professional learning offering can register online. We recommend that you review the course information above and contact us if you have any questions.

In the Wilson Reading System^® (WRS) Steps 7–12 Practicum, participants focus on advanced word study and application of reading and writing skills with progressively more challenging levels of text. The practicum requires successful delivery of a minimum of 50 lessons with an approved student, and submission of at least three video-recorded lessons for observation and feedback.

Registration

Individuals interested in this professional learning offering can register online. We recommend that you review the course information below and contact us if you have any questions.

Schools and districts interested in exploring the option of including WRS Level II Certification for their teachers as part of a professional learning implementation plan, are encouraged to contact us to start the discussion.

Prerequisites

• WRS Level I Certification
• Bachelor’s degree in Education or a related field

Corequisite

• Advanced Word Study Online Course

Duration

• Must be completed within 15 months from start date
• 75 (minimum) practicum instruction hours
• 10 hours of required reading

Graduate Credit

Three graduate credits (optional) are available through Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, upon completion of course requirements. Please see the Process for Graduate Credit for details.

Course Objectives

• Identify the characteristics of dyslexia and related language-based learning disabilities.
• Use assessments to identify students with word-level deficits who are appropriate for an intensive intervention.
• Appropriately pace a student through the upper steps of the WRS curriculum, developing mastery of material taught, designing lessons that focus on accuracy, automaticity, and fluency of word and text reading.
• Accurately teach the structure of the English language (presented in WRS Steps 7–12): alphabetic knowledge, consonant and vowel phonemes (phonological and phonemic awareness), syllable structure (phonological awareness), common orthographic rules and advanced spelling patterns including spelling option procedures, common Latin and Greek­-based prefixes and suffixes, etc.
• Further deepen the skills developed in Level I Certification, including:
  • Understand the necessary principles of instruction used to teach students with a language-based learning disability: direct, explicit, systematic, structured, sequential, integrated, multisensory, synthetic, analytical, diagnostic, prescriptive, mastery/automaticity, cumulative, metacognitive, and emotionally sound.
  • Effectively deliver advanced multisensory structured language instructional techniques, demonstrating explicit teaching, modeling, guided practice, and consistent review in lessons.
  • Understand language processes and how they impact the development of proficient readers and writers: phonologic, orthographic, semantic, syntactic, and discourse.
  • Successfully incorporate the following areas of reading instruction during WRS lessons: phonemic awareness, phonics (sound-symbol relationships), advanced word structure (including morphology), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
  • Identify high frequency words and incorporate appropriate multisensory structured language techniques for students to learn how to correctly read and spell these words.
  • Diagnostically plan and deliver lessons, addressing and understanding specific student weaknesses that impact the ability to learn to read and write.
  • Administer pre-and post-testing assessments to document student growth in word attack, spelling, comprehension, reading fluency, and broad reading skills.

Course Components

• Access to practicum course resources, including Practicum Study Guide, and three live 1:1 meetings with assigned trainer
• Successful delivery of 50 full lessons (at minimum) with an approved student beginning at Substep 7.1.
• Submission of three video-recorded lessons for observation and feedback

Materials

• WRS Steps 7–12 Practicum Dashboard (provided)
• Required (must be purchased)
  • WRS Advanced Set Steps 7–12 4th Edition
    • Instructor Manual Steps 7–12
    • Dictation Book Steps 7–12
    • Word Element & Syllable Cards (Steps 7–12)
    • Word Cards Steps 7–12
    • Student Readers 7–12
    • Baseline and End-of-Step Assessment Materials Steps 7–12
    • Student Portfolio (notebook, vocabulary section, and dictation notebook)
  • WADE 4th Edition
  • WRS Rules Notebook Steps 1–12 4th Edition
  • Magnetic Journal with Letter Tiles 4th Edition
  • WRS Letter-Sound Cards 4th Edition

Completion Requirements

• Submit a pretesting report, including educational history and current test results of practicum student.
• Deliver 50 practicum lessons (at minimum), typically completed in one school year, starting at Substep 7.1 in accordance with the WRS Steps 7–12 Practicum Study Guide. The student must receive instruction in three 60-minute or two 90-minute lessons per week (at minimum). Practicum student must reach Substep 10.3 of the program.
• Provide documentation of written lesson plans.
• Submit a minimum of three video-recorded lessons submitted for review and feedback.
• Develop teacher, student portfolio, and student’s written work in accordance with Wilson Language Training® program standards.
• Maintain Wordlist Charts and End-of-Step Assessment records.
• Demonstrate mastery of instructional procedures with a focus on introductory, accuracy, and fluency lessons for the upper steps of the program (documented and approved by Wilson Trainer).
• Demonstrate an understanding of advanced language concepts (phonologic, orthographic, morphologic) and the ability to accurately teach these with multisensory procedures.
• Demonstrate student success and mastery of decoding, encoding, and comprehension skills.
• Conduct post-test assessment and submit WRS Steps 7–12 Practicum Student Final Report, and related documents after a minimum of 50 lessons and achievement of Substep 10.3.