Thoughts on LETRS Training for Teachers

EdWeek just posted this article about LETRS Training that I found very interesting. You can check the article out here: What Is LETRS? Why One Training Is Dominating ‘Science of Reading’ Efforts

First, let's talk about what LETRS is. 

The briefest explanation is that LETRS is a professional development program that helps teachers understand how children learn to read and the basics of how to teach foundational reading skills. Or if you want a more commercial definition, you can check out the Lexia Learning site for LETRS

How does this relate to Oregon? And specifically, Eugene, OR?

Decoding Dyslexia Oregon made a profound shift right after the 2019 NAEP report came out (this report basically says that only Mississippi children made any gains in learning to read by 4th grade), to focus on getting teachers trained in LETRS. This shift was from that focus on dyslexia to a focus on teaching all kids to read the way that all kids can learn to read. However, DDOR is mostly active in the Portland area and that's where the focus has been. Here in Eugene, not so much. There is a relatively young chapter of DDOR in the Eugene area, but I haven't been involved in most of that because it was just getting off the ground when COVID hit. 

Slowly, the LETRS information has trickled into the ears of Eugene's teachers. 

Did you know that Bethel School District has been aligned with the University of Oregon educational research community for decades? Most Bethel schools are teaching reading using evidence-based, systematic reading instruction. Or, they were the last time I knew anything about it which was maybe 5 years ago?

Did you know that 4j schools are so decentralized that they all do things completely differently? Some schools follow evidence-based instruction and some don't and even though they are all supposed to use the same language arts curriculum, some of them just don't use it. (Not that this is a big deal when your curriculum is kind of crappy to begin with)

Did you know that there are about 200 local teachers who are going through LETRS training? 

Did you know that even though school districts could have used COVID money to pay to get their teachers trained, that the teachers getting LETRS training locally are getting it through funding from the United Way?

Why am I asking all of these questions? Possibly because I'm enraged that our largest local school district wouldn't fund such important training...possibly that I feel my question marks drip with sarcasm and disgust.

Thoughts about LETRS

Is LETRS the only option? It's absolutely not. 

Is it the only option that people generally know about and will help increase teacher knowledge about evidence-based reading instruction? Yes. 

Does something need to happen RIGHT NOW to help teachers teach kids how to read? Absolutely. 

Is LETRS too expensive? Probably, but we have to start somewhere and this is what is readily available. Administrators have heard of it because Mississippi was the only state to make gains in reading and it's what they used. 

Is LETRS a cure for what ails schools' ability to teach reading? Probably not? I think that you can't just provide LETRS training to teachers and expect that things will be magically fixed. There has to be a fundamental change at the district (or state) level. If the district doesn't think that they need to teach kids how to read (obviously district leaders wouldn't characterize it this way, but this is what it IS), all the LETRS training in the world isn't going to shift the needle. 

However, is it a bad thing to inform teachers that perhaps they've been doing it wrong all along? NO! Please TAKE LETRS TRAINING if that is all that is available to you as a teacher. The more teachers in your district who are in the know, the more pressure that can be put on school boards and administrators to make giant shifts in the way that reading is taught in our schools! Because make no mistake, giant shifts NEED to happen so we don't continue to create a population that is semi-literate. 

What are the other options?

I'm going to preface this by saying I really know nothing about any of these trainings. Some of them are going to be less intensive and some are more intensive. What I do know is that they are all (in relatively good faith, if with an eye to profit) trying to get evidence-based instructional practices into the hands of teachers. So, I'm not rating these things and I'm not putting them in any particular order. This is just informational. 

• The Reading League Online Academy. Also an introduction to Basic Reading Instruction for Parents
• CORE Learning Accelerated Reading Achievement with the Science of Reading

Fun fact: Carrie Beck who used to run the CTL Reading Clinic and who used to be the state level dyslexia specialist for Oregon is the Director of Literacy at CORE.

• AIM Institute for Learning & Research Pathways Programs Pathways to Proficient Reading Course
• The Center for Literacy and Learning has a couple of options for virtual coaching and online learning. 

Fun fact: They put on a fabulous conference every year called Plain Talk about Literacy and Learning. It's in New Orleans and always attracts the big names in the science of reading community.

• The Big Dippers This is a condensed course but is also inexpensive comparatively. 
• EBLI For educators, but also they have what I think are free resources for Parents
• Keys to Literacy Keys to Beginning Reading PD course. I've heard good things.

Final Thoughts

Don't discount the free resources! Almost every one of those organizations above also has a host of free resources that can help you get started if you don't have funding or support from your district. 

And you can always check out the Educate Yourself and Online Resources sections of this website.

Opportunity to Help Your Child This Summer!

 This looks like a fantastic opportunity. If you have a little one at home and you need some guidance, check out this article: 

Education Researcher Creates Free Summer Reading Program for Parents

And then check out the website to sign up for Read Not Guess

This will help you help your child learn the appropriate way to read. It will help them either unlearn or mitigate the habit of guessing that is often taught in schools. 

If your child has been taught to guess based on pictures or the first letter of a word, you should definitly sign up for this program to get your child on the right path to actually learn how to read. 

 

Helping Your Child With Reading At Home

 So, I have a couple of opinions on this, so I'm just going to bullet a list and then I'll explain.

It totally depends on

• Their age.
• How your child reacts when you try to help them.
• How far behind they are.
• How motivated they are.
• How knowledgeable you are.
• How much time you have to devote to this.

Their Age

If your child is still young (pre-k to grade 1), there are a ton of activities you can do to help with reading. First and foremost? Read to him. Read together. Read picture books, and chapter books, and listen to novels together. Talk about the things that you are reading. If they don't understand one of the words, or if there is a difficult concept, stop reading and talk about it. 

Here is an article and video about Dialogic Reading. This is a great way to engage your child.

Here are a couple of Toolkits that have a wealth of information for early reading and supporting your child at home.

Supporting Students with Reading Needs

Supporting Your Child's Literacy Development 

The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) has Student Center Activities that are broken out by grade level and skill. They even have a video series of how to do some of the activities with your kids at home. These are scripted and easy-to-follow lessons that are short, fun, and based on science.

There is also this resource from the Feds that is supposed to be easy to follow for Supporting Your Child's Reading At Home

How Your Child Reacts

When our son was young, I could help him, but as he got older and struggled even more he became very frustrated with me. In fairness to him though, I wasn't doing all the right things. I was maybe starting with things that were not the problem - like fluency. Fluency wasn't his problem. He was still struggling with connecting sounds to written letters.

So, if you have the money, my advice is to find a tutor. Someone who uses evidence-based practices and a good program. You can find information about local tutoring on the Local Resources Page. But in addition to that, look into Wilson Reading. You can ask them for a list of certified tutors in your state. Check the International Dyslexia Association for tutors. And, definitely consider the possibility of online tutoring. I wouldn't have considered it before COVID, but I think that people have really streamlined their practice and made it okay to do online instruction. 

How Far Behind They Are

If your child is older and they are really struggling (like my son who was reading at a first grade level in third grade), try to get a tutor.

Barring that, because the cost is often a barrier - Tutoring is NOT cheap. Go back to the things under the first section here. Look at Florida Center for Reading Research and the IES-funded things that give you some systematic instructional practices.

How Motivated They Are

My son lacks serious motivation, so I mostly have to do the heavy lifting to get him the instruction he needs. If the motivation struggle is REAL in your house, try audiobooks! Audiobooks at least help develop vocabulary and cultivate that love of books that everyone likes to talk about. Maybe start with the Percy Jackson series. Did you know that Percy Jackson, the character, has dyslexia and ADHD? THAT is relatable!

Access Hoopla Digital and Overdrive which are free with your library card and have tons of audiobooks and ebooks. 

How Knowledgeable You Are

Don't try to do more than you can. If you are not a teacher and you are overwhelmed by all the things that I'm talking about here, just read. Just, find a book and read it together. If you read all of it, that's fine, but read it out loud and talk about it together. This is a really wonderful way to encourage reading for understanding and seriously - every little bit helps. So, do what you can.

How Much Time You Have To Devote To This

Some days - read, most days - I'm exhausted from working and then I have to come home and make dinner, maybe I have to take someone to football practice, or to sword class. Some days I just don't have enough in me to deal with anything else. If your child is really struggling with reading, that can be a full-time job. But even just 5 minutes a night doing one of the FCRR activities or reading together, or listening to a book, these are all things that can contribute to better learning.

Stay strong out there...it's a jungle.

What If My Child Is Struggling With Reading in Kindergarten or First Grade?

 First - Is this just something that you have observed? Or has the teacher expressed concern as well?

If the teacher hasn't expressed concern, start by asking the teacher about your child's reading and tell her that you are concerned. Need some questions to ask?

Try these infographics for good questions to ask:

Route to Reading: Check for Potholes

Route to Reading: Do Regular Performance Checks 

If you are given things to do at home that don't seem to be right or that are not working for you, try this infographic:

Route to Reading: Avoid a Lemon

Or watch this video:

If your concern runs deeper than just thinking your child is struggling and you want the school to test your child, you will need to Request an Evaluation. You have to use that terminology and you have to do it in writing. 

Sidebar: I think that all coorespondance with the school should be in writing. It's the only way to track that things are happening (or not happening).

Here is a great little article from Understood.org that breaks down how to request a School Evaluation 

6 Steps for Requesting a School Evaluation

You know your child best. If you think something is wrong, there probably is. Maybe it's a learning disability, maybe it is the instruction that your child is receiving, but either way, it's important to act fast. Children who receive systematic evidence-based instruction and interventions in the earliest grades are less likely to fail or fall behind later (3rd or 4th grade) when teachers expect them to read to learn rather than learn to read. 

Navigation Tips

 While ultimately this will be a blog that I try to keep up with, right now you can navigate it like a website. 

1. If you want to know how I got to this place, you can check out Our Story at the top of the page. 
2. If you are just here to find information about local places that can help, check out the Local Resources at the top of the page. I will try to vet a few more tutoring places as I go, but it's good to remember that all tutoring is not created equal, and spending 50 bucks an hour for someone to read a novel with your child is not going to teach them to read.
3. If you are here because you were putting random words together in Google hoping to find SOMETHING that will help you help your child with reading, start with the Educate Yourself tab. I think that one of the best (and worst) things that have happened since we started this journey was to discover that my story, our story, is actually really common. So, I definitely felt less alone in my confusion and anger, but then I was even angrier - why are we letting so many kids just NOT learn to read in school? It's literally their job.

Uniquely Qualified? Maybe. Uniquely Placed to Help Others? Hopefully.

 Why am I here?

I'm hoping to share what I've learned on my journey and to hopefully help parents, local to Eugene, who have struggling readers and don't know where to go or what to do.

If you want to read about my WHOLE story. You will find that on the Our Story Page

I'm going to start with this video I made for the National Center on Improving Literacy: 

Links:

Advocacy Tutorial

Advocating for the Literacy Needs of Children Toolkit

Self-Advocacy Toolkit