Kansas LETRS

Kansas Science of Reading Professional Learning Course with LETRS®

Kansas Science of Reading Professional Learning Course with LETRS®

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.

For Kansas Elementary Educators in KSDE Accredited schools there is no cost for the online course or training days.

Jump to Sign-Up 

Currently Enrolling August 2023 Cohort - Deadline for Registration June 1, 2023.

What is LETRS^® training?

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:

• What must be taught during reading and spelling lessons to obtain the best results
• Why reading instruction has several key components and how they are related to one another
• How to explain spoken and written English language structures
• How to interpret individual differences in student achievement
• How to implement instructional routines, activities, and approaches and differentiate instruction

Who is LETRS® training appropriate for?

LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators (PreK-K)

This course is appropriate for any educator designing, providing instruction, or coaching staff in any early childhood or pre-kindergarten setting. This tprofessional learning experience has been approved by KDHE for 28.9 in-service clock hours.  Full Description of the LETRS for Early Childhood Educators

LETRS® (K+)

This course is appropriate for any educator designing and providing instruction to students or coaching staff in kindergarten through 5^th grade or providing instruction to students struggling to read at any grade level. Full Description of LETRS  

What is included in the LETRS® professional learning?

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.

LETRS® for Early Childhood

• The LETRS® for Early Childhood course is completed over a single school year.
• Teachers will complete an asynchronous online course, reading from the LETRS for Early Childhood Educators manual, and classroom application estimated to require 24-30 hours (approximately 1.5 hours per week) over the school year. Unit Outcomes and Estimated Time to Complete Each Unit
• The self-paced online course should be completed prior to live training sessions.
• In addition to the online course, teachers will also participate in 12 hours of live training provided in 2 full days about 12 weeks apart during the school year. Corresponding Units of the online course should be completed prior to training days. The two days of training are virtual unless completed through a service center or a districttraining group. 

LETRS®

• The LETRS® course is composed of two volumes which are completed over 2 school years.
• Teachers will complete a self-paced asynchronous online course, reading from the LETRS® manual, and classroom application activities estimated to require 45-55 hours (approximately 2 hours per week) each school year. Unit Outcomes and Estimated Time to Complete Each Unit
• In addition to the online course, teachers will also participate in 24 hours of live training provided in 4 full days about 6-8 weeks apart each year. Corresponding Units of the online course should be completed prior to the training days. The 4 days of training each year are virtual unless completed through a service cener or a district training group.

Free LETRS® training for Kansas PreK-3rd Grade Teachers in KSDE Accrediated Public and Private Schools.

LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators

• Educators who support early learning for children in preschool programs – including these programs:
  • Preschool-Aged At-Risk (State Pre-K 4-Year-Old At-Risk) teachers who teach PreK students
  • Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP) teachers who teach PreK students
  • Early Childhood Special Education teachers who teach PreK students
  • Head Start teachers who teach PreK students
  • District funded preschool programs teachers who teach PreK students
  • University faculty who teach early childhood literacy courses

LETRS® Volumes 1 and 2

• Educators in elementary schools or provide reading instruction to student struggling to learn at any level:
  • Elementary general education teacher 
  • Special education teachers
  • Title teachers
  • ESOL teachers
  • At-Risk teacher
  • Reading Specialist/Interventionist at any level
  • Instructional Coaches who support reading at any level
  • Building principals
  • Curriculum leaders
  • Special Education Related Service Providers (school psychologists, speech language pathologist, etc.)
  • University faculty who teach literacy courses in Kansas teacher preparation programs

Sign-Up for LETRS® Professional Learning Course

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 virtual 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. 

• Administrator Considerations for LETRS® district or building-wide
• Teacher Considerations for Participation in LETRS®  Professional Learning

During sign-up you will select one date from each of the bullet points for a virtual training date to attend.

Due to publisher capacity limits and point in registration cycle the unit training dates below are the only ones currently available.

LETRS Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

Kick-Off Session
May 30, 2023: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
August 9, 2023: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
August 10, 2023: 5:00pm - 6:00pm

Unit 1
October 2, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
October 3, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
October 12, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
October 13, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
October 5 & October 12, 2023: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session 2 Parts)

Unit 2
December 4, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
December 5, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
December 14, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
December 15, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm
November 30 & December 7, 2023: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session 2 Parts)

Unit 3
February 12, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
February 15, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
February 16, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
February 20, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
February 15 & February 22, 2024: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session 2 Parts)

Unit 4
April 25, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
April 26, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
April 29, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
April 30, 2024: 8:30am - 3:30pm
April 25 & May 2, 2024: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Evening Session 2 Parts)

LETRS Early Childhood 

Unit 1-2
October 3, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm

Units 3-4
December 5, 2023: 8:30am - 3:30pm