Reading Tutor Network: Certification and Training Chart

Students with dyslexia need multisensory structured language (MSL) instruction. This means that connections are consistently reinforced between the symbols the student sees, the sounds the student hears and the actions they can feel.

There are a variety of organizations that provide this kind of training and certification of tutors. Furthermore, there are variations in practicum experiences whereby many organizations do so with supervision of work with children while others do not.

There also are national accrediting organizations such as IMSLEC and IDA .

The chart below shows some of the variations between these organizations.

Learning Ally Reading Tutor Network: Certification and Training Chart
Organization Certification Levels Certification Requirements
Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA)


 2 levels based on training by an IMSLEC-accredited training program plus a registration exam; training includes coursework, experience and direct observations Therapy Level
  • 700 hours of supervised teaching
  • 200 hours of graduate level coursework
  • Alliance National Certification exam certifying MSLE knowledge and skills, verifying achievement of highest level of competency
Practitioner Level
  • 60 hours of supervised teaching
  • 5 hours of graduate level coursework
  • Alliance National Certification exam certifying MSLE knowledge and skills
Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) 3 levels representing increases in training, experience and competency

Associate: 60 hours of coursework, 100 hours of supervised teaching, 10 observations

Certified: 160 hours of coursework, 300 hours of supervised teaching, 20 observations

Fellow: 250 hours of coursework, 600 hours of supervised teaching, 20 observations, training others

Barton Reading & Spelling System 3 levels, each requiring different levels of coursework and experience; in-person testing

Certified: In-depth training in Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Barton System, at least 1 year of experience, and successfully passed an 8-hour certification practicum test conducted by Susan Barton.

Advanced: In-depth training in Levels 1 through 6 of the Barton System, at least 3 years of experience, and successfully passed two different 8-hour certification practicum testing sessions conducted by Susan Barton.

Masters: In-depth training in Levels 1 through 10 of the Barton System, at least 5 years of experience, and successfully passed two different 8-hour certification practicum testing sessions conducted by Susan Barton plus an 8-hour written test.

Children’s Dyslexia Centers (Scottish Rite Masons, Northern Jurisdiction)

   		2 IMSLEC and IDA accredited levels: Teacher Level and Instructor of Teacher Level

Teacher Level: 50 course hours plus 100 hours of supervised practicum

Instructor of Teacher Level: 205 total course hours plus 660-700 hours of supervised practicum

All certified graduates are eligible to sit for the Practitioner Level of the Alliance Registration Exam for Multisensory Structured Language Education, a National Registration Exam administered by the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA).

Dyslexia Training Institute 1 Certificate Program – Level 1: Conducted via online courses, webinars and practicum Dyslexia Certificate Program
  • In-depth study of dyslexia
  • Instruction on implementation of remediation
  • Trains to implement full progression of all syllable types and rules
  • 5 three-week courses
  • 3 webinars (including Special Ed Law and Executive Functioning)
  • Practicum includes online real-time practice with mentor and 60 hours direct teaching with review by DTI mentor of videotaped lessons with student
  • All coursework and practicum mentoring provided online
Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE)

 Levels:
  • Comprehensive
  • Intermediate and/or Morphology
  • Specialist

Comprehensive

  • 30 hours of Comprehensive coursework, 50 hours of supervised teaching, 5 observations

Intermediate and/or Morphology

  • 30 hours of Advanced Encoding/Decoding and Morphology coursework, 50 hours of supervised teaching, 5 observations

Specialist

  • 60 hours of coursework, 100 hours of supervised teaching, 10 observations (This level is a combination of doing both the Intermediate and/or Morphology and the Comprehensive. Applicants must apply for the Comprehensive Certification first and upon successful completion, apply for either the Intermediate or Morphology practicum).

    • Applicants must apply for the Comprehensive Certification first and upon successful completion, apply for the Advanced Morphology).
Lexercise (IDA Accredited Plus program)
  • Professionals who complete Lexercise's structured literacy professional development series and pass IDA's KPEERI exam are eligible for CERI's Structured Literacy™ Dyslexia Specialist (SLDS) designation.

Course Work

  • Course 1: The Structure of Written English
  • Course 2: Multisensory Structured Literacy Intervention
  • Course 3: Practicum in Structured Literacy Teletherapy
The Slingerland® Institute for Literacy

   

IMSLEC-accredited courses and an IDA-Accredited Program for Teachers of Reading.

Instructor of Teaching Level:

  • Certified Slingerland Director
  • Certified Slingerland Staff Demonstration Teacher

Teaching Level:

  • Certified Slingerland Teacher

Other Providers:

  • Qualified Slingerland Teacher

Minimum Coursework:

  • Qualified Slingerland Teacher – 266 hours
  • Certified Slingerland Teacher – 276 hours
  • Certified Slingerland Staff Demonstration Teacher – 500+ hours
  • Certified Slingerland Director – 1000+ hours

Certification Courses (133 hours each):

  • Level 1 – Introductory Comprehensive Course: 4-week with student practicum
  • Level 2 Continuum: 4-week intensive study with practicum
  • Level 3 Continuum Course: 4 weeks

    • Other Training Options:

    • Short courses, workshops and seminars
    Wilson Language Training
    		 Levels:
    • WRS Level I - Dyslexia Specialist
    • WRS Level II - Dyslexia Therapist
    • Wilson Reading System® Trainer

    WRS Level I - Dyslexia Specialist

    • Prerequisite: WRS Introductory Workshop (15 Hours)
    • 90-hour online course: WRS Intensive Instruction (Steps 1-6)
    • 1:1 Student Instruction Practicum (minimum 60 Lessons/60-90 Hours)
    • Five Teacher / Student Observations performed by approved Wilson Trainer
    • Through seminars, online coursework, required reading, exams and a supervised practicum documenting student success, participants must demonstrate mastery of the skills needed to teach reading in an intensive setting (multisensory instruction, diagnostic lesson planning, delivery and knowledge of basic language instruction)

    WRS Level II - Dyslexia Therapist

    • Prerequisite: WRS Level I Certification
    • 55-hour Online Course: Advanced Word Study (Steps 7-12)
    • Advanced Strategies for Multisensory Structured Language Group Instruction Workshop (15 hours)
    • 1:1 Student Instruction Practicum and Small Group Instruction Practicum (minimum 100 lessons/150 Hours)
    • Six Teacher/Student Observations performed by approved Wilson Trainer)

    WRS Certified Trainer

    • Prerequisites:
      • WRS Level II Certification and acceptance into Wilson Trainer Development Program
      • Master’s Degree in education or related field
      • Extensive education experience with varying age groups, demonstrate expertise with multisensory language teaching
    • Comprehensive one-year internship
    Wired for Reading
             		Levels:
    • 2 IMSLEC accredited levels
    • Teaching Level Certified Wired for Reading Specialist
    • Instructor of Teaching Level Wired for Reading Instructor

    Teaching Level

    • Prerequisite: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
    • Coursework: 80 hours/5 classes of Wired for Reading coursework/exit exams
    • Practicum: 60 hours supervised instruction working 1:1 with students who present characteristics of dyslexia and/or related language-based learning disorders.
    • Final Certification Exam

    Instructor of Teaching Level

    • Prerequisites: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and graduate of Teaching Level
    • Teaching Experience: 600 hours of Certified Wired for Reading Specialist experience
    • Coursework: 105 hours
    • Internship: 1 year supervised teaching, learning all aspects of planning and instruction