Just Words®

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.