About Our Company
Our commitment to the science of reading and the science of implementation — in combination with our comprehensive professional learning, high-quality structured literacy programs, and dyslexia expertise — creates a pathway to success for teachers and students.
Literacy for all, literacy for life — this is Wilson’s driving force and guiding principle.
Who We Are
Wilson Language Training® (WLT) is supported by a passionate team of experienced educators and experts. We strive toward a vision of literacy for all by partnering with schools and districts to implement and sustain our programs. Our team of experienced certified trainers coach their peers and help them effectively use our programs.
At the heart of our company, our founders and leaders in Oxford, MA, and Portsmouth, NH, support and guide our teams to make our mission a reality.
Our Approach
Wilson believes that every individual — young students introduced to reading for the first time, students in need of intervention support, and those with dyslexia and persistent reading challenges — has the right to acquire literacy. By partnering with educators, parents, and students, we know this is possible.
History
The inspiration for WLT began with Barbara Wilson over 30 years ago. After several years as a special educator in public schools in Massachusetts, Barbara completed training in the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) approach to literacy instruction at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Language Disorders Unit. She remained there for five years: Working with adults with dyslexia inspired the eventual launch of Wilson Language Training several years later.
Barbara has gone on to lead presentations, keynotes, and workshops at over 300 conferences worldwide. Her co-founder, Ed Wilson, served on both the Board of Directors for the New England branch of the Orton Dyslexia Society and the Executive Board of the International Dyslexia Association. Alongside Barbara, he spearheaded Wilson’s transition from a private learning center to a national educational company — all the while staying true to the original goal of helping individuals with dyslexia.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide quality professional learning and ongoing support so that educators have the skills and tools they need to help their students become fluent, independent readers, who are ready to explore the endless possibilities the world of reading has to offer.
A History of Literacy Education
Wilson’s commitment to literacy begins in 1985. Open the following dropdowns to view a timeline of critical events in our history.
- 1985: Barbara and Ed Wilson open the Wilson Learning Center, a private institution for students with reading disabilities.
- 1988: The first edition of the Wilson Reading System® (WRS) is published. The curriculum is based on Barbara’s training and work at both MGH and the Wilson Learning Center.
- 1989: As a result of the Wilson Learning Center’s success, Wilson creates the WRS Level I Certification to support and guide educators.
- 1992–93: Wilson shifts focus to professional learning with the goal of making WRS instruction available and successful in public school settings. Wilson Language Training® (WLT) is incorporated in the state of Massachusetts.
- 1995: The WRS Level II Certification program is created to support teaching in small groups and introduce advanced concepts of language structure.
- 2002: Informed by over 10 years of data from the successful implementation of WRS, Wilson publishes the first edition of Fundations® — an explicit, cumulative, systematic, and multisensory program targeted to K–3 students.
- 2005: Wilson Language Training®(WLT) relocates to Oxford, MA. The new campus is equipped with offices, learning rooms, and a 20,000-square-foot materials distribution center.
- 2009: In response to demand for a program specifically made for older students and adults with word-level deficits not requiring intensive intervention, Wilson debuts Just Words®. This new program explicitly addresses decoding and spelling needs through an accelerated delivery of the content of the Wilson Reading System® (WRS).
- 2015: Wilson is awarded Accreditation Plus from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), recognizing WRS’ alignment with the organization’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.
- 2020: The Fundations Virtual Resource Hub — FUN HUB® for short — goes online, providing remote support and resources to teachers remotely implementing Fundations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: The Fundations Ready to Rise® program is published. Aligning with research-based recommendations for accelerated learning and designed for use during summer school or at the beginning of the academic year, this 20-day program prepares rising 1st and 2nd grade students for the next Fundations level by targeting foundational skills.
- 2021: The WRS Advanced Set and WRS Advanced Set Plus for Steps 7–12 are published. Incorporating all the research-based best practices that have been part of our professional learning courses for years, these sets provide teachers with the resources needed to implement the Upper Steps of the program.
- 2022: To continue meeting the heightened demands for Wilson professional learning opportunities, research-based programs, and high-impact products, Wilson partnered with Alpine Investors in 2022. With Alpine’s support, Wilson is poised to meet increasing demand and maintain the utmost quality, thereby upholding the company’s mission. Following the Alpine partnership, Wilson welcomed its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Keri Dixon.
Helping Our Community
Wilson maintains that a sense of community makes the world a better place. To put that idea into practice, we engage in annual outreach and volunteer projects. We’ve planted greenery and collected trash on Earth Day; donated books to local public schools to encourage summer reading; supported employee-selected charities; and more.
Join Our Team
If you’re passionate about Wilson’s mission and believe reading is something everyone can enjoy, you’ve come to the right place. Click the button below to browse our open positions — we look forward to connecting with you.