For those of you new to Fundations, it was first published in 2002. Fundations was based on reading reasearch and the Wilson Reading System- a highly structured and intensive program for challenged readers. Fundations is part of Wilson's three-tiered approach to successful reading and writing instruction. Fundations provides all students with a foundation for reading and spelling. The instruction emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics-word study, high frequency word study, fluency, vocabulary, handwriting, and spelling. Optimal learning is facilitated by a gradual release of responsibility model. The learning activity sequence on a given day or within a week, moves students along toward independence following these steps:
1. "I Do It" --> Teacher Demonstration
2. "We Do It" --> Guided Instruction/Pracitce
3. "You Do It Together" --> Collaborative Learning
4. "You Do It Alone" --> Independent Success