We are proud and honored to have award-winning educational experts, professors, and researchers among our ranks of dedicated Literacy Specialists and Literacy Advisors. One such distinguished individual is Dr. Vanessa Howard, a passionate advocate of Structured Literacy, devout champion for teacher success, and beloved “Fundations® Queen” in the classroom. Here’s what she had to share with us.
My name is Dr. Vanessa Howard, and I’ve been with Wilson Language Training® for nearly five years as a Literacy Specialist. Prior to joining Wilson, I worked in the public school system for many joyous years as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, administrative intern, elementary principal, and district-level ELA coach. The most rewarding part of my job now is ensuring that literacy is accessible to all and that teachers have exactly what they need to succeed. When teachers truly understand the program, it directly benefits their students.
When our school district was first rolling out Wilson programs, I had a granddaughter struggling with reading. The Wilson Literacy Specialist at the time encouraged me to teach her the Fundations concepts I was learning in training. The structured, multimodal approach of the program brought out the language skills she was lacking. Fundations really tapped into her excitement for learning, and she ended up reading above grade level.
So, I know Wilson works because I experienced the benefits on a very personal level. I also witnessed the longitudinal data from before and after our district implemented Wilson, documenting the strategic growth our students achieved. The personal benefits, coupled with the professional results I saw in my district, fueled my passion for the program and led me to pursue a job at Wilson.
I like to think of myself as someone who sprinkles a little fairy dust of kindness and understanding on teachers. When teachers are introduced to a new curriculum, it can take time for them to get comfortable with it. My job is to coach them through that process. I tell them, “I’m here to make your life easier.” I’m always accessible, even giving them my personal cell number to reassure them that I’m there to support them. By modeling, coaching, and providing feedback, I help teachers translate the program’s principles into effective classroom practices. I’m their greatest cheerleader.
I try to make it fun and engaging. I’ve embraced being called the “Fundations Queen,” even wearing a crown or calling myself the “Fundations Fairy” when visiting classrooms. This helps me connect with the students and makes them open to learning. Making learning fun and interactive, while using the science of reading, helps students engage and see real growth.
Research shows that learning is tied to emotions and making that connection is valuable for promoting student engagement. Fundations is structured in a way that’s both educational and recreational, making it fun for students. Activities are designed to engage students’ brains and muscle memory, which helps transfer information to their long-term memory. This is why Fundations leads to lasting improvements in reading skills.
First, get acquainted with your Teacher’s Manual—it’s your roadmap for success. The beginning of the manual explains all the activities you will be teaching throughout the year. You won’t be teaching them all at once, so you can master them as you go. Then, each Day of a Unit provides a Daily Plan and lists the materials you’ll need, so make sure you’re prepared. Second, go to FUN HUB®. It has excellent videos that can help you understand exactly how to teach new concepts. If you’re teaching Level K, you might even see me in one of those videos!
We also have some new Fundations® Readers that are fantastic—they’re 95 percent or more decodable books aligned to the Fundations Scope and Sequence. The stories reflect different experiences and are relatable to students. The illustrations are really great; there’s a strong connection between the text and images, which helps students strengthen their problem-solving skills and make connections. You definitely want to incorporate the Readers because they reinforce the skills you’ve been teaching your students, giving them actual practice with the word structures they’ve been learning in class, helping them become proficient, confident readers.
I’d tell myself to laugh more and have fun with learning. Your enthusiasm as a teacher directly influences your students. When you bring positive energy to the classroom, your students will respond in kind. If you have a good vibe about learning, they will have that same vibe. So, continue giving your students positive support, because they need those good vibes.
Alice in Wonderland. My mother bought a pop-up book version for me, so the characters moved as I turned the pages. It made it very interactive, and it made me really want to read the book.