Link found something that is working for our students, and shared it with other schools! This year Link adopted the Wilson Reading System to help struggling readers, and based on our student success, decided to roll it out to more Link staff. With a grant from the Newark Charter School Fund, Link hosted a Professional Development (PD) opportunity, a three day workshop on the Wilson Reading System, for Link teachers, and, wanting to share a “best practice,” invited teachers from local charter schools to participate. Fifteen were enrolled in the workshop.
The Wilson Reading System, a highly-structured remedial program based on Orton-Gillingham principles, targets students beyond grade 3 who are reading and spelling below grade level. The program is implemented in small groups and reading classes in the general classroom, after-school/volunteer programs, literacy and adult settings. Link has employed the program in an afterschool setting, with ten students needing remediation the most. Link has seen a significant improvement in the reading abilities of the students in the program since the start of the school year.
