Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS)

Three-Day Course
LETRS Modules 1-3 (of 12)
August 25, 26 & 27, 2008
8:30 – 4:00pm

Fee: $265/day or $695 for all three modules
(includes module manual, lunch and refreshments)

The LETRS cours will be held at the Academy In Manayunk located at 169 Conarroe St., Phila. PA 19127. Click here for driving directions to the school. Free parking available across the street.

About LETRS
Louisa Moats, Ed.D., author, Grades K-12

It is critical for the success of our schools and students that reading coaches, specialists and teachers have a deep structural understanding of language.

That is why well known reading expert Dr. Louisa Moats and Sopris West created LETRS. This breakthrough professional development program provides a comprehensive, fad-free understanding of how students read and write and how to improve and focus reading instruction.

Years of research and a lifetime of real-world education experience went into the development of LETRS. This unique professional development program empowers teachers with a solid foundation of the mental processes of reading and field-tested instructional strategies for each type of struggling reader.

LETRS provides teachers with the knowledge and skills to address one of our nations's top priorities—closing the achievement gap.

Nancy Hennessy served as the president of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) from 2003-2005 and is an educational consultant for both regular and special education. She serves on the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities, and is a member of the National Advisory Council of the Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.

Ms. Hennessy is the author of “Mentoring in a Professional Community: Voices from the Field” in The Reflective Mentor: Case Studies in Creating Learning Partnerships, Alyce Hunter & Henry Kiernan (Eds.)
(Christopher Gordon Publishers, 2005).

Modules 1, 2, 3:
Module 1 - The Challenge of Learning to Read
When teachers are knowledgeable about what the brain does when reading, they are better able to appreciate and implement components crucial to reading instruction. With this goal in mind, LETRS Module 1 provides the foundational information so necessary for all those who interface with students’ reading skills. Key concepts include the discovery of how difficult reading really is, including reviews of MRIs to illustrate what physically happens in the brains of good and poor readers. Additionally, the stages of word reading will be reviewed, pairing this knowledge with student writing samples to illustrate how this information translates into the classroom setting. Discussions involving essential components of reading instruction beyond the “core five components” will be included, along with interactive illustrations of what might be happening for our poor reading students. Foundational information for all grade levels!

Module 2 - The Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness
While the term “phonemic awareness” is continually mentioned in reading instruction, exactly what this means often differs within reading programs and classroom instruction. LETRS Module 2 delves in detail into the workings of phonology and its importance in reading instruction for young readers and poor older readers. A progression of skills to teach and assess is clearly outlined, complete with interactive examples at all skill levels. The 44 specific speech sounds of the English language are detailed, along with “allophonic variants”, or what happens to students when sounds are not represented as they should be. Issues of dialect and English language learners (ELL) are addressed as they impact reading instruction. Principles of effective phonology instruction are demonstrated. Student spelling samples from all grade levels are reviewed to help participants make connections between students’ phoneme awareness and their reading and spelling skills. For grades K-3, and all professionals involved with older poor readers.

Module 3 - Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works
Is the spelling of the English language really as unpredictable as we think? LETRS Module 3 outlines five major rules that govern the spelling patterns of the English language, dispelling the notion that our spelling is truly unpredictable. Once armed with this information, professionals will be better able to understand the “what” and “why” of teaching the orthography of the English language and its connections to reading. The continuum of spelling skills addressed spans the individual phoneme-grapheme connection to multi-syllable patterns and types to teach, including work at the morpheme and word origin levels. For grades K-3

PAYMENT AND REGISTRATION

Register for LETRS, Modules 1-3 by clicking on the "Register" button and filling out the form. Payment can be made online by secure credit card transaction. After filling out the registration form, you will have the option of paying by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). If you prefer to pay by Purchase Order, please make payable to the "Academy In Manayunk" and mail to: 

For more information, please contact:
Debbie Robinson
drobinson@aimpa.org
215-483-2461