Professional Learning

Certifications to build sustainability

Our certification pathways develop teacher-leaders and a culture of collaborative professional learning.

Available certifications

Wilson® has three distinct credentials for peer-to-peer instruction: Facilitators, Presenters, and Trainers. The first two credentials apply to Fundations®; Just Words® supports Facilitator training. The Trainer designation is only available for the Wilson Reading System® (WRS). Each certification indicates a strong understanding of the corresponding program and approves recipients to assist other educators and lead workshops in their districts.

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What Makes Facilitators and Presenters Different?

Facilitators are trained to support teachers using Fundations and Just Words, promoting student achievement through fidelity of implementation. The certification develops teacher-leaders and promotes a culture of collaborative professional learning at the individual educator, school, and district level.

Presenters are skilled Fundations Facilitators who have completed additional coursework that allows them to conduct workshops within their district.

WRS Trainers are a select group of individuals who are required to complete a rigorous list of prerequisites before being invited to join a year-long internship. Once completed, Trainers are allowed to conduct and supervise WRS programs. The path to each credential is depicted below. A summary of each certification with links to additional details follows.

Become a Facilitator
Become a Presenter
Become a WRS Trainer

Trainer Candidacy

Each year, Wilson invites a limited number of educators to study as WRS Trainer Interns. But before that, teachers must be nominated by their respective districts. When selecting candidates, administrators must choose from salaried district staff members — those working either three-quarters or full-time — with designated time in their schedules to support teachers. Furthermore, they must consider the candidate’s ongoing role, as well as their post-internship responsibilities.

Internship Structure

If chosen for the WRS Trainer internship, an educator must first attend a summer intern development session at the Wilson campus in Oxford, MA. Then, they will work at a WRS Level I Training site in their district, under the supervision of a Wilson® Credentialed Trainer. After a second development session, interns will observe a WRS Introductory Course, participate in a web conference with a Wilson Fidelity Team member, and await evaluation from their supervising Credentialed Trainer.

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Fast Facts

Take a quick look at top-level details for our Fundations- and Just Words-specific certifications.

Wilson certifies Facilitators and Presenters in Fundations® and Facilitators in Just Words®. Educators pursuing these certifications may specialize in Fundations Levels K, 1, 2, or 3; Fundations Intervention; or Just Words. Trainers focus solely on the Wilson Reading System, with the ultimate goal of guiding and supporting implementation in their districts. Learn more below.

We encourage districts to consider developing a personalized COMPASS plan with us. As part of these plans, we can work with you to develop Fundations Facilitators and Presenters and/or Just Words Facilitators. In the case of WRS Trainer Certification, the school will designate 6–10 individuals to participate in the WRS Level I Certification program during the upcoming academic year.