KSDE has allocated a portion of the State's ESSER funds to address potential learning loss that resulted from the shift to emergency remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift disrupted instruction of foundational literacy skills of young students in Kansas and leading to a potential learning loss. To help recover from this KSDE is offering free LETRS® training to any educator who works in an KSDE accredited public or private elementary school or provides reading instruction to struggling learners at all grade levels. This opportunity covers the cost of the online course and training days; there is no cost to the school nor teacher for this training. To ensure that all teachers, including teachers just coming out of college, will be able to help students this training opportunity is also available to higher education faculty who teach literacy courses in Kansas teacher preparation programs.
Currently Enrolling August 2023 Cohort.
LETRS stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS®). LETRS® is a professional learning course for instructors of reading, spelling, and related skills. LETRS® is not a curriculum not a program used to provide intervention. It is a professional learning program that builds knowledge and skills so that teachers can be more successful with any curriculum and intervention materials and make informed decisions when choosing what materials to use to provide effective instruction. Specifically, LETRS® is intensive professional learning to empower teachers to understand the science behind why students struggle to read through learning evidence-based instructional practices. LETRS® provides details for educators to understand the what, why, and how of scientifically based reading instruction including:
LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators (Pre-K and Kindergarten)
This course is appropriate for any educator designing, providing instruction, or coaching staff in any early childhood or pre-kindergarten setting. This professional learning experience has been approved by KDHE for 28.9 in-service clock hours. Full Description of the LETRS for Early Childhood Educators
LETRS® (Kindergarten and above)
This course is appropriate for any educator designing and providing instruction to students or coaching staff in kindergarten through 5th grade or providing instruction to students struggling to read at any grade level. Full Description of LETRS
LETRS® and LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators are both hybrid professional development experiences consisting of asynchronous online learning, reading from a participant manual, classroom application activities, and live training days.
In-Person Trainings with Regional Service Centers - If you prefer the training days in support of the online course to be in-person, the education service centers have Certified LETRS® Facilitators and will be scheduling them. To sign-up for training through one of the service centers reach out directly to them, please do not sign-up here.
Virtual Trainings - If you prefer the training days in support of the online course to be virtual, please use the links below. These training days will be provided virtually by National LETRS®. If you're a district with 40 teachers and would like to arrange for the training days based on your local schedule, please indicate that when signing-up.
COURSE MATERIALS WILL SHIP DECEMBER 2023
January 2024 LETRS Training Dates
Kick-Off Session
January 10, 2024: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Unit 1
March 5, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
March 6, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
March 7, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
February 27 & March 5, 2024: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session must attend both dates)
Unit 2
May 7, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
May 8, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
May 9, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
April 23 & 30, 2024: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session must attend both dates)
January 2024 LETRS Early Childhood August Training Dates
Kick-Off
January 11, 2024 - 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Unit 1-2
March 1, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
Units 3-4
May 3, 2024, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm