![]() ![]() At least four states and 2,500 districts require or suggest that K–3 teachers take LETRS, and the number of participants continues to grow. It is a professional development course of study in which more than 200,000 educators are currently participating. LETRS is not a program of instruction for teaching reading to children. ![]() Here, she shows students how to produce /i/ sounds as in itch (left) and ice (right). Lee Anna Vasquez, a reading interventionist, uses a sound wall to teach students the articulatory features of phonemes. In this article, I explain the origin and development of LETRS and the rationale for the course content. Until that day comes, LETRS is my best effort to give our nation’s teachers the information they need. Although LETRS has become popular in recent years, my sincere hope is that in the near future it becomes unnecessary because teachers are already masters of this science as they graduate from their preparation programs and are routinely supported by well-informed administrators and science-based materials. No information presented in LETRS is unique or proprietary-it just breaks down the “rocket science” of reading instruction into carefully sequenced units so that teachers build the insights and knowledge necessary to succeed. When I saw resistance in some areas and slow progress in others, I sought ways to improve and distribute the courses I had been creating for my graduate students. Several decades ago (yes, I’m also past retirement age), I hoped that the then-emerging science of reading would be widely adopted by professors, state and district policymakers, textbook publishers, and professional development providers. However, as a former teacher, psychologist, and researcher, my primary goal is to ensure that every child learns to read-because I know that most children can and will if they are well taught. And yes, as the lead author of the program, I have a financial stake in it. 2 Yes, this is a commercially available program published by a for-profit company. To remedy that, I’m hoping to reach all teachers who have not yet had an opportunity to learn this science with LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development. Consequently, the students who would benefit the most, including struggling readers and English learners, continue to fall behind at unacceptable rates. Although there has been significant progress in the last 20 years, 1 we are still far from that goal. I’m heartened that the AFT’s reading courses * are grounded in this science, but my hope has long been that all teacher preparation programs across the country would be informed by science and structure their literacy courses accordingly. It also outlines what all early childhood and elementary teachers should know about language, reading, and writing development-a challenging set of concepts that teachers should be studying from the beginnings of their teacher preparation programs to the ends of their careers. This report (which is available for free at go.aft.org/keo) summarizes key findings from reading science and their implications for teaching literacy. In 1999 and again in 2020, I was honored to write Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science for the AFT. Here, kindergartners in Patricia Ramos’s class are listening to a whole-group read-aloud. AFT resources for organizing and back to school programsĪt Vado Elementary School in Vado, New Mexico, students have been thriving since their teachers participated in LETRS professional development.Safe and welcoming public schools for all. ![]() DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).Standing united to protect immigrant rights.Standing in Solidarity with Our AAPI Community.Paraprofessionals & school-related personnel. ![]()
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