Wilson Reading System

The Wilson Reading System has a proven track record for students who struggle with learning how to read. Not only does this curriculum effectively teach reading skills, it uses reading concepts to reinforce and teach spelling simultaneously. This course of study has proven successful with students diagnosed with language-based learning disabilities, dyslexia, attention deficit disorders, and other learning difficulties. We have seen pupils as young as 6, to students as old as 45 benefit from Wilson program. ESOL students have also made significant gains when using the Wilson Reading System.

Based on the Orton-Gillingham multisensory philosophy and principles, the Wilson Reading System provides a well organized, incremental, and cumulative 12 step system. This program directly teaches the structure of the words in the English language so those students master the coding system for reading and spelling. Unlike other programs that overwhelm the student with rules, the language system of English is presented in a systematic and cumulative manner so that it is manageable. It provides an organized, sequential system with extensive controlled text to help teachers implement a multisensory structured language program. The basic purpose of the Wilson Reading System is to teach students fluent reading and spelling skills to the level of mastery. From the beginning steps of the program, it also includes sight word instruction, fluency, vocabulary, oral expressive language development and comprehension. The interactive ten-part lesson plan is designed to keep the student involved in various activities built around a few concepts. These lessons progress from easier to challenging tasks for reading and then spelling.

The multisensory part of the program uses a variety of techniques and materials to fully engage students in the task at hand. Students learn by hearing sounds; manipulating color-coded cards or tiles, performing finger tapping exercises, writing down spoken words and sentences, air-writing sight words, reading aloud and repeating what they have read in their own words, and hearing others read as well. All skills and knowledge are reinforced through visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile senses.

Another strength of this curriculum is that it is cumulative and integrated. Each step builds on the one before it. Students work from sound to word to sentences, and paragraphs to stories, learning the structure of English through constant repetition and review. Students receive direct reinforcement and instructional feedback based on their individual performances and do not proceed to the next step until they have met each step’s criteria as each step builds upon the one before. The Wilson program is designed to meet individual needs so that each student advances at their own pace.

Students who participate in the Wilson Reading System must attend at least 2 hours a week for instruction, and 3 hours per week are even better. Students need a $7.00 notebook, which is the major reference material for the course. Each step has a $7.00 consumable workbook, which is necessary every month, 6 weeks or 2 months, depending on the individual’s speed through the course.

The Wilson Reading System is research-based and there is abundant documented evidence to support its effectiveness. If you are interested in learning more about this exceptional program or would like to look at the studies about Wilson, please go to WilsonLanguage.com and explore the website.