About the Intervention
Wilson Reading System® is a supplemental reading and writing curriculum designed for students in grade 2 and above with word-level deficits. The program teaches phonemic awareness, alphabetic principles (sound-symbol relationship), word study, spelling, sight word instruction, fluency, vocabulary, oral expressive language development, and comprehension through activities including hearing sounds, practicing with syllable and word cards, listening to others read, and reading aloud. In the study that met WWC evidence standards, only the word-level components were implemented. The intervention was delivered in 50-minute lessons, five days a week, to groups of three students with various basic reading levels, from November 2003 to May 2004. Sessions took place outside regular classrooms during students' regular reading instruction time. Teachers received training including group instruction, coaching, telephone consultation, and independent study using the Wilson Academy online course, averaging 62.5 professional development hours.
Statistical Findings
Positive effect: on phonics (TOWRE phonetic decoding efficiency)
Positive effect: on phonics (WRMT-R word attack)
No effect: on phonics (TOWRE sight word efficiency)
No effect: on phonics (WRMT-R word identification)
No effect: on oral reading fluency
No effect: on passage comprehension (GRADE)
No effect: on passage comprehension (WRMT-R)
More Intervention Details
Focus Areas
Those with DisabilitiesPrograms & Services
General Education, Special Education Services, Remedial EducationDelivery Methods
Face-to-FaceDisability Support
Specific learning disabilityTarget Groups
Student(s)Citation
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse. (2007). Wilson Reading System®. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/intervention/738.
Study Demographics
These charts show the demographic makeup and geographic setting of the research study that evaluated this intervention's efficacy. When assessing the fit of an intervention, consider whether it was found effective in a context similar to your own.
Participant Race
What was the racial breakdown of this study's data sample?
Participant Gender
What was the gender breakdown of this study's data sample?
Other Participant Characteristics
Geographical Setting
What was the setting of this study?