Entering into our 12th year of the Wilson Reading System Level I Certification program, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the program and its impact on the yeshiva and day school community. 190 teachers have successfully completed the program and earned their certification, applying these skills to needy students and helping them develop the competencies and confidence needed to become fluent readers. A few awesome teacher quotes:
“This program changed the way I teach, and it changed the life of the student I worked with. She entered my room as a struggling reader, unsure of even letter sounds, and left a confident reader. What an amazing program!”
“I learned things about the English language that I never knew, and I have been teaching for 20 years! It is such a thoroughly prepared program. Everything is there, and it really works with the students.”
The program takes an entire year to complete and consists of a 60-90 hour practicum of one-on-one tutoring of a needy student. Teachers are observed 5 times over the year by a master Wilson trainer. In addition, there is a mandatory implementation session at the beginning of the year and an online word study course that runs parallel to the practicum.
To participate in the program, a teacher must have a BA or higher, work in a yeshiva or day school in New York City, receive a recommendation from their principal or department head, and attend a 3-day workshop offered over the summer, the Wilson Reading System Introductory Workshop. Participants receive this training, valued at over $3,000 free of charge. The costs are paid for by NYC DOE Title II A funds and are made possible by the collaborative efforts of the yeshiva and day school representatives to the NYC DOE: Teach NYS, The Jewish Education Project, Sephardic Community Federation, UJO of Williamsburg, Agudath Yisroel, and others.
The introductory workshop will take place at our headquarters at 40 Rector St. on the 4th floor, from 9am-4pm, Monday July 28th through Wednesday July 30th. There is a small registration fee, and kosher breakfast and lunch will be provided. Here is the registration link: Wilson: Wilson Reading System Intro
While the introductory course can serve as a standalone, participants who are interested in the full year program will be given priority. For more information, please reach out to our Director of Government Progams, Yosef Kanofsky, at kanofskyy@teachcoalition.org, or to our Director of National Educational Initiatives, Daniella Rosenberg at rosenbergd@teachcoalition.org.