
Course Overview
Just Words®
An Accelerated Word Study Program to Develop Proficient Readers and Spellers
Just Words® is a highly explicit, multisensory decoding and spelling program for students in grades 4–12 and adults who have mild to moderate gaps in their decoding and spelling proficiency but do not require intensive intervention.
Who is this course for?
This course is for general education teachers, reading specialists, interventionists, special educators, and instructors who teach adults.
Course description
The program is designed for students with below-average decoding and spelling scores and should be combined with other literature-rich programs.
Just Words aligns with a school or district’s Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework of instruction by delivering a Tier 2 intervention addressing a sophisticated study of word structure with explicit teaching of “how English works” for both decoding and spelling automaticity. It is designed for students who can benefit from the targeted word study focus without requiring the more comprehensive intervention of the Wilson Reading System®.
The Just Words® Virtual Launch Workshop provides the practice and guidance needed to effectively begin teaching the Just Words curriculum. This highly interactive remote workshop was developed with extensive participant input during the spring/early summer of 2020. It was designed to maintain participation and motivation for optimal learning, with strategically placed breaks and an extended lunch. Additionally, the workshop design allows for teacher input and active engagement via activities and discussions throughout each session.
Course Objectives and Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, participants are able to:
- Identify the skills taught in Just Words: phonics and word study (phonemic awareness, six basic syllable types in English, spelling rules, common Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes), vocabulary study, and high frequency words;
- Understand the principles of instruction: explicit, sequential, and cumulative instruction that engages multiple learning modalities using multisensory instruction, repetition, and immediate, specific feedback;
- Identify and understand the use of all materials in the Just Words Teacher’s Kit, and have a sense of how to find and use the many extended resources available on the Intervention Learning Community for Just Words (membership included with participation in this workshop);
- Use the Instructor Manual to prepare a daily learning plan and practice lesson activity procedures;
- Visualize the flow and pace of a full Just Words lesson completed with fidelity; and
- Identify which students may be appropriate for a Just Words class, and understand how to assess students’ progress in the class by using Progress Checks at the beginning of each Unit and Unit Tests at the end.
Dates
New sessions coming soon. Contact us to receive updates.
Course Number(s)
1410
Location and Format
Cost
$325
When you register for the course, apply for grant funding—which can reduce tuition by 20%.
Grade Level
Audience
Kristy Wysong, M.S.Ed.
Wilson® Credentialed Trainer
What Teachers Have to Say
Meet the Instructor(s)
Kristy Wysong, M.S.Ed.
Wilson® Credentialed Trainer
Kristy received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Auburn University in Elementary Education. She has been teaching for 33 years and taught grades 1–4, focusing the last 12 years on teaching reading to struggling students and students with dyslexia. She is an in-district and on-call trainer for the Wilson Language Training company. She has been trained in Orton-Gillingham from the Michigan Dyslexia Institute and the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What terms and conditions are there for professional learning registrations?
Please read the terms and conditions for our courses and workshops and contact us if you have any questions.
How do I register?
- If the course or workshop you’re interested in is on our website, please visit the course or workshop’s page and follow the link to access our online registration form. Complete the form by doing the following:
- Indicate whether you will pay with a credit card or a Purchase Order (PO).
- Fill out the participant information and workshop information sections.
- Read the Terms and Conditions and check the box to confirm your agreement.
- Click “Next”
- If you are paying with a PO:
- Please verify that your PO is complete.
- Send your file to the Stern Center by mail or email to proflearning@sterncenter.org.
- Click “Next.”
- Your information will be sent to us to review. In 1–2 business days, we will confirm your registration by emailing you “Registration Confirmation” in the subject line.
- If you are paying with a credit card:
- Click “Next” to indicate whether you want to subscribe to our mailing list.
- Click “Continue.”
- Click “Buy Now” to continue to Authorize.net
- Enter your credit card information and click “Pay now” to complete your credit card transaction.
- Your information will be sent to us to review. In 1–2 business days, we will confirm your registration by sending you an email with “Registration Confirmation” in the subject line.
- If the course or workshop you’re interested in is not listed on our website, please contact us to learn more.
Is there research to prove the efficacy of Wilson Language Training® Programs?
Wilson Language Training programs, materials, and professional learning are proven effective in developing the reading skills of individuals with a language-based learning disability or who have otherwise struggled to learn to read. Read more at wilsonlanguage.com.
I want to apply for tuition funding. When and how do I do this?
The Stern Center’s Cynthia K. Hoehl Institute for Excellence (CKHIE) provides grants to reduce the cost of our programs for educators, helping to make vital professional learning more readily accessible. When you register for a course or workshop, we’ll ask if you want to apply for grant funding. Select “Yes,” and we’ll ask how the grant will help your work as an educator. You will be required to submit a paragraph or two about your professional learning goals.
After you apply for funding, we’ll calculate the amount of your grant and subtract it from the cost of the course or workshop. Most grants provide 20% off of tuition.
You can read more about applying for grant funding here.
Do I need to register with Wilson® after I enroll in the course or workshop with the Stern Center?
If you wish to receive a certificate of attendance, access additional resources, and register for graduate credit (when available), you will need to pre-register with Wilson. These resources and materials are only available through Wilson.
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