LETRS: What is it? And what does it entail?

Last updated on June 10th, 2023 at 05:25 pm

Here in South Carolina, LETRS training is the new educational bandwagon to jump on. And from what I’ve been reading, that may be true in other states as well. LETRS has become a popular professional development for educators because it’s primarily focused on the science of reading. But, I often get asked, “What is LETRS?”

What is LETRS?

Since I just started the training at the beginning of this year, I am able to give some insight into that question. First of all LETRS stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. It is a training program for educators of grades K-5, but more so for grades K-3.

LETRS is not a curriculum for literacy, rather it is a training program that teaches you more about how the brain develops as a reader and shares instructional practices that support this development. It was created by Dr. Lousa Moats, Dr. Carol Tolman, and Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson.

What does the LETRS program entail?

LETRS is typically a two year program. It consists of 8 units broken down further into lessons. Four units are completed each year (1 book for each year). Currently, many states and districts are offering this training at no charge to teachers. You can check here for more information. In fact in some states and districts where it is required or highly encouraged to take this training, stipends and state renewal credits are being given. You are, also, eligible to earn graduate credits through the American College of Education.

To complete each unit you attend two half-day sessions through Zoom with a LETRS facilitator, complete an asynchronous online part that includes an end of unit test, read the manual, and work on a portfolio. It typically takes me 9-10 hours to complete the work for each unit, including the Zoom sessions.

Is it worthwhile?

At this point you may be thinking: Is it worth it? In my opinion, so far (I’m about to start unit 3), parts of the training are VERY worth it. I have found some of the lessons interesting and learned a lot about how the brain works when learning to read. I have, also, gained a better understanding of why my ML (multi-lingual learners) have such a difficult time learning how to read in English and some different strategies to use with them. Other parts of the training feel like busy work-things I either learned while getting my college degrees or learned during my many years of teaching young children.

I know for many you, you will not get the choice of whether or not to take LETRS. But, hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what you are in store for. And if you are dreading adding one more thing to your already overloaded plate, give you some hope that this training will not be a complete waste of your valuable time.

When I am at the halfway point, I will give you an update on my thoughts about this program. And when I complete the LETRS program, I’ll write another post to share some of my key takeaways and how it has/hasn’t changed my instructional practices, along with the effects on my students.

Disclaimer: These are solely my opinions of the LETRS program. I am not being paid to endorse or not endorse the LETRS program in any way.

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