The next step in Fin’s journey

Blog Series#2

Wilson Success Story

When we last left Kate and Fin, she had pre-tested him and found that his reading and spelling skills were well below grade level.  Thus, Fin would be an excellent candidate for the Wilson Reading System.  Please see Blog Series #1 for details.

Our first observation was in October.  Kate and Fin had completed three lessons and were already in the Substep 1.4 introduction lesson in WRS.  I observed them working on their fourth lesson, and it was evident that Fin was not a big fan of the practicum.  He cooperated with his mother passively but had to be redirected to look at his notebook, tap words, and follow the directions already given.  These behaviors are typical for beginning Wilson students, especially older ones who have experienced past failures in learning to read.  We discussed creating a written contract that spelled out his behavioral expectations and monetary rewards for reaching specific milestones promptly.  In addition, Kate was extremely patient, positive, and supportive throughout the lesson.  Her gentle guidance was invaluable in helping him succeed despite his reluctance to participate fully.  She already had some lesson procedures running smoothly, and Fin was responding to the consistency of these predictable routines.

Fin did quite a bit of guessing during this first observation.  Guessing is what many of our students do when they don’t understand how English works and have no other way to decode. We discussed having Fin work on his handwriting and hold him accountable for what he had been taught in the practicum. You can see a sample of his first written dictation.   Fin did enjoy operating the timer and managing the transitions in the parts of the WRS lesson plan.  These jobs gave him some control of the process and ultimately helped him build confidence and buy into the program.

See how things begin to change in our second observation.