Self-Paced Wilson Reading System Introductory Course

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Self-Paced Wilson Reading System Introductory Course

This asynchronous 16.5-hour course (30-day access) 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 30-day access (16.5 hours) 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
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Date
Nov 02 2026 - Dec 02 2026
Time
All Day
More Info
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Allison Oh
M.A., CCC-SLP

Allison holds a B.A. in Speech-language Pathology from Miami University with a minor in Disability Studies. She earned her M.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Cincinnati. Allison previously completed clinical training in a variety of environments including a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) traineeship through the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Currently, Allison serves as a speech-language pathologist for Springer School and Center, an evaluator for Springer Diagnostic Center, and a therapist for Springer Learning Center.

In her role, Allison aims to provide therapy that will allow her students to fully engage in the classroom as speakers and listeners. Her objective is to develop a comprehensive understanding of how each student creates meaning from language and how they express intended messages. Beyond the achievement of therapy goals, she strives to help her students become confident, self-advocating communicators through the development of self-awareness and incorporation of personal strategies. Her dynamic approach to assessment is centered around individualization, ensuring each student is provided appropriate accommodations. Allison is dedicated to providing families with insightful information about their child’s communication profile, and meaningful recommendations to assist with communication needs inside and outside of the classroom.

Allison enjoys hobbies like crafting, golfing, and playing the guitar. She is a sports fan and live music/show enthusiast. Allison resides in Cincinnati with her 3-year old dog named Pepper.

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Breanna Spears
Administrative Assistant, B.A.

Breanna earned her B.A. in Mass Communications from Savannah State University, where she developed a strong foundation in communication strategy, organizational storytelling, and supporting diverse communities. She brings over seven years of experience in Human Resources and Administrative roles within the finance sector, where she specialized in process development, employee support, workflow improvement, and operational coordination.

Breanna now serves as the Center Administrative Assistant, supporting the Diagnostic Center’s daily operations. In her role, she assists with scheduling, billing, parent communication, and system organization to ensure a smooth and supportive experience for families and staff. Her background in HR and administration helps her create clear structures, anticipate needs, and maintain consistent communication across teams.

Breanna is passionate about building processes that not only work—but make sense. She is deeply committed to bridging the gap between completing tasks and truly understanding the “why” behind them. Her goal is to contribute to an environment where clarity, compassion, and efficiency allow everyone—families, students, and colleagues—to feel informed and supported.

Outside of work, Breanna enjoys gardening, home DIY projects, creating art, and traveling. She resides in Cincinnati with her husband and their two children.

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Shelby Chamberlin
Family Outreach Coordinator, M.Ed.

Shelby earned her M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati in Applied Behavior Analysis. Prior to that, she received her B.A. in Elementary Education with endorsements in Learning and Behavioral Disorders from Morehead State University. Shelby began her career as an intervention specialist teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders. She continued her professional journey by joining the Springer team in 2021 as a fourth and fifth grade teacher. In her time at Springer she has worked as a classroom teacher, Adventures in Summer Learning teacher, tutor and now as the Family Outreach Coordinator.

As Family Outreach Coordinator Shelby supports families looking for answers in the diagnostic evaluation process, as well as supporting families who may be interested in school year admissions or tutoring, and as director of the Adventures in Summer Learning Program.

Shelby is a passionate sports fan, cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats and Cincinnati Bengals. She also enjoys cooking, hot pilates and being outside with her family. Shelby resides in Northern Kentucky with her spouse and daughter.

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Alyson Caldwell
Occupational Therapist, OTR/L

Alyson earned her BS and MS degrees from Eastern Kentucky University. Alyson has prior experience working as an occupational therapist in outpatient pediatrics and skilled nursing rehabilitation before Springer. Alyson now serves as the team lead occupational therapist at Springer School in addition to Springer Diagnostic Center.

As a school-based occupational therapist, Alyson is passionate about helping students develop the skills they need to participate fully and confidently in their learning environments. Alyson specializes in supporting handwriting development and executive functioning, with a focus on helping students become more independent, engaged learners. Alyson believes in meeting each student where they are, building on their strengths, and collaborating with educators and families to develop meaningful and practical goals and strategies that truly support each student’s growth.

Alyson enjoys yoga, being outside with her dogs, antique hunting, and cheering on the Bengals. Alyson is a soon-to-be first time mom and resides in Northern Kentucky with her husband.

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Bradley Paramore
School Psychologist, Ed.S, NCSP

Bradley earned his Ed.S and M.Ed. degrees from John Carroll University. Prior to that, he received his B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Bradley served as a lead psychologist in public schools for over 10 years. He has previously served as the President of the Ohio School Psychologists Association and held several other leadership positions within the National Association of School Psychologists and Ohio School Psychologists Association. His experiences include serving on various working groups for the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce and the Ohio Department of Public Safety before joining Springer.

Bradley is passionate about providing comprehensive support to families that identifies the root cause of concerns. His goal is to provide evaluations that highlight a student’s strengths as well as proven strategies that can help a student thrive.

Bradley is a passionate sports fan and former college football coach. He enjoys attending comedy shows, live music events, traveling, and listening to podcasts. Bradley resides in Cincinnati with his wife and 2 children.

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Ann Kilpatrick
Occupational Therapist, OT/L

Ann earned both her B.A. in International Studies and her M.S. in Occupational Therapy from The Ohio State University. She has prior experience working as an occupational therapist in adult acute care and inpatient rehab.  In 2012 she began working as a school-based occupational therapist at Springer School.  Ann now works as part of the Springer Diagnostic Center Team. 

Ann believes that given the support they need, each student is able to reach their full academic potential. In her role as part of the diagnostic team, she seeks to provide individualized assessment data to identify motor needs and use that data to suggest potential interventions that can be used by families and educators in order to best support the child.

Ann enjoys spending time with her kids, hiking, travelling, yoga, and reading.  She lives with her husband, 3 children, and 2 dogs in Cincinnati. 

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Deborah Gilbert
Clinical Psychologist, Ph.D.

Dr. Gilbert earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan, took a gap year to teach English in Japan and travel through Asia, and then earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy.  She also completed a 3-year postdoctoral residency at Chestnut Lodge Hospital, provided therapy and psychological assessments in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, and served children and families of greater Cincinnati public schools conducting psychological evaluations.  Dr. Gilbert is happy to have joined the Springer Diagnostic Center team in 2024.

Dr. Gilbert believes in the potential of young people and works with them to make the world a better place.  In the evaluation process, she wants you and your child to feel understood and supported.  Dr. Gilbert strives to understand the whole child and build an actionable and evidence-based plan for parents and teachers to support the success of the child. 

Dr. Gilbert’s personal passions include her family, traveling, hot yoga, and book club.  She and her husband have been married 30 years, have 2 adult daughters, 2 beautiful grandchildren, and a sweet Cavachon dog named Marigold. 

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Molly Bernosky
School Psychologist, Ed.S., M.Ed.

Molly earned her Ed.S. and M.Ed. degrees from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to that, she received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Molly has served as the lead school psychologist in public schools, public school administrator overseeing special education teams, and testing psychologist at an ADHD clinic before arriving at Springer. Molly was a founding member of Springer Diagnostic Center and now serves as the Diagnostic Center Director.

Molly is passionate about providing evaluation experiences that feel approachable, collaborative, and strengths-based. Her goal is for families to feel listened to, validated, and supported throughout an evaluation process.

Molly’s hobbies include hiking, listening to podcasts, attending live music and comedy shows, coaching youth sports, and participating in community events. Molly resides with her husband and 2 children in Cincinnati.

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Janis Armacost
Center Administrative Assistant

Janis brings over five years of experience in mental health and behavioral education, where she developed a strong foundation in supporting individuals and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. She also has experience in healthcare administration, having worked in an oncology office managing front desk operations and billing.

She joined Springer School and Center as the Administrative Assistant, where she plays a key role in supporting the diagnostic evaluation process. In her role, she coordinates scheduling for evaluations, manages client communications, oversees invoicing and financial tracking, and ensures families are guided through each step of the diagnostic experience. She works closely with clinicians and staff to support a welcoming, smooth, and positive experience for every family.

Outside of work, Janis enjoys reading, hiking, hot pilates, and being outdoors with her family. A devoted sports fan, she cheers on the Bengals, Reds, and UC Bearcats. Janis resides in Cincinnati with her husband and two sons.

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Nick Philpott
Speech-Language Pathologist

Nick holds his Bachelors in Fine Arts with a specialization in playwriting from Ohio University. He worked for several years in behavioral health as a Registered Behavioral Technician before returning to Brooklyn College to earn his M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology. Nick completed his clinical training in a variety of environments, including Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, NY; the Manhattan VA Center Speech-Language Pathology department; and a clinical fellowship in outpatient rehabilitation in Fairview, NJ. Currently, Nick is the head of the speech-language pathology department in the multiple disabilities classrooms at the Warren County Educational Service Center at Western Row, an evaluator for the Springer Diagnostic Center, and a tutor through Springer’s tutoring department.

In his role, Nick aims to provide therapy and diagnostic services that allow his students to engage in the classroom as well as the outside community, increasing their ability to convey their wants, needs, and ideas to others independently. His objective is to paint a complete picture of each communicator or student in order to express how they input and output language units. Beyond achieving goals in the therapy room, Nick advocates for access to AAC, for self-determination of a communicator, and for the rights and dignities that we are all entitled to as communicators. His approach to therapy is dynamic and responsive to the learner at the desk in front of him; accommodations are individualized and effectiveness is measured throughout. Nick is dedicated to providing thorough, insightful communication evaluations to families and learners in order to increase their success in the educational environment by knowledge of their own strengths and weaknesses.

Nick plays the guitar, video games, and writes and reads voraciously. He is a Reds fan, no matter how difficult that may be at a given point in the season, and he lives in Cincinnati with his wife, his son, and his senior ChiPoo.

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Aaliyah Saunders
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student, B.S., B.A.

Aaliyah Saunders is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cincinnati, where they receive advanced training in psychological assessment and psychotherapy under the supervision of licensed psychologists. They earned their Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University. Aaliyah has experience working with children, adolescents, and families across research and clinical settings. They are currently expanding their clinical training through therapy and psychological assessment experiences at the University of Cincinnati. Aaliyah’s clinical interests include neurodevelopmental differences and they are passionate about providing neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based care. They strive to create evaluation experiences that are warm, collaborative, and supportive, helping children feel comfortable while ensuring families feel informed and empowered. Their goal is to help families better understand their child’s unique strengths and challenges and provide practical recommendations to support their growth. Outside of training, Aaliyah enjoys watching movies, strength training, attending concerts and comedy shows, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with family, friends, and their partner.