Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS)

About LETRS

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LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is a professional development program that responds to the need for highquality literacy educators at all levels. Developed by Louisa C. Moats, EdD, LETRS provides the deep foundational knowledge necessary to understand how students learn to read, write, and spell —and why some of them struggle.

The program's underlying principles are the groundwork in many scientific research reports, including “Blueprint for Professional Development,” Reading First Leadership Academy, U.S. Department of Education (Moats, 2002); “The Missing Foundation in Teacher Education,” American Educator (Moats, 1995); and “Measuring Teachers' Content Knowledge of Language and Reading,” Annals of Dyslexia (Moats and Foorman, 2003).

LETRS provides educators with a core understanding of language structure and helps them gain in-depth instructional information to complement their teaching practices. Rather than replacing the core basal reading program, LETRS brings deeper knowledge of reading instruction by addressing each component—phoneme awareness; phonics, decoding, spelling, and word study; oral language development; vocabulary; reading fluency; comprehension; and writing—as well as the foundational concepts that link them.

LETRS Core Modules

Grades K–12
Twelve core print modules are at the center of the LETRS program. Each of the individual LETRS modules covers a key ingredient of effective reading instruction. As a whole, the print modules are designed to serve as a complete professional development course for reading teachers and coaches at all grade levels. LETRS modules provide the foundational knowledge requirements that reading teachers and coaches at all grade levels can use to be more effective.

LETRS module content is delivered best in special LETRS Institutes by certified LETRS trainers, but the print modules are also available separately so that educators can choose instructional topics to study on their own. When used in their sequential order, LETRS modules are a valuable reference resource that educators will reach for time and time again.

LETRS modules use easy-to-understand language. Essential teaching concepts are underscored with engaging questions, problems, and tasks that emphasize the concept’s real-life application. Videos and other support resources are recommended, and educators can check their knowledge of LETRS content with the self-tests that bookend every LETRS module.

Modules 1, 2, 3:

Module 1 - The Challenge of Learning to Read
The first module in the LETRS series explores the reasons why many students have reading difficulties and explains how children learn to read. Case studies illustrate the progression of reading development; the influences of biological, genetic, cognitive, environmental, and instructional factors in learning to read; and the components of effective reading instruction. A “four-part processing system” model is explored in detail. Foundational information for all grade levels! – 7.5 PDPs

Module 2 - The Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness
This module introduces phonemes (speech sounds) and discusses the importance of phonological awareness in reading and spelling instruction. Module 2 also discusses the features of consonants and vowels and covers some of the problems that children who speak other languages or dialects may have when learning English.
For grades K-3 and all professionals involved with older readers having reading difficulties. – 7.5 PDPs

Module 3 - Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works
This module explores the structure and history of English spelling from several angles: phoneme-grapheme correspondences, letter patterns within words, syllables, meaningful word parts (morphemes), and historical layers in the orthography. The module addresses differences between syllables and morphemes, between “irregular” and “high-frequency” words, and among six syllable types. After learning this content, teachers can approach phonics, spelling, and word study with confidence.
For grades K-3 – 7.5 PDPs

Modules 4, 5, 6:

Module 4 - The Mighty Word: Building Vocabulary and Oral Language
Vocabulary instruction differs from other areas of reading. This module addresses varied approaches to instruction, including indirect (contextual) and direct methodologies, and stressing techniques for fostering word use, knowledge of word relationships, and awareness of word structure and its connection to meaning. Participants apply what they have learned about vocabulary instruction to several examples of narrative and expository text.
For all grades – 7.5 PDPs

Module 5 - Getting Up to Speed: Developing Fluency
Comprehensive reading instruction includes deliberate fluency building at the subword, word, phrase, and text levels for those students who read too slowly. This module reviews the rationale for a fluency component in lesson design. Participants learn and practice techniques for speed drills, repeated reading, simultaneous and alternate oral reading, calculating reading fluency, and charting the results of exercises.
For all grades – 7.5 PDPs

Module 6 - Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension
Comprehension instruction is one of the most researched areas in reading education, yet it is also one of the most challenging. This module addresses the research base for teaching comprehension, the reasons why children have difficulty with comprehension, and approaches for teaching comprehension at the phrase, sentence, paragraph, and passage levels. Questioning techniques and strategies that are useful before, during and after reading are reviewed. Exercises include text analysis for planning instruction.
For all grades – 7.5 PDPs

Modules 7, 8, 9:

Module 7 - Teaching Phonics, Word Study, and the Alphabetic Principle
The inclusion of phonics as a necessary skill for early reading instruction has been well documented in reading research efforts. What this specifically means to those connected to reading instruction will be addressed in detail within LETRS Module 7. A perfect follow-up to LETRS Modules 2 and 3, all components of phonics instruction are modeled through videotaped vignettes of teachers in real-life classroom and instructional situations. The connections between sound and symbol, or phoneme and grapheme, are outlined in a logical scope and sequence for teaching young readers the specific decoding strategies necessary for successful reading. For grades K-3Module 8 - Assessment for Prevention and Early Intervention
While the movement towards mandatory reading testing is pervasive, understanding exactly which skills should be assessed, with whom, and why, is crucial knowledge for all professionals involved in implementation of student reading instruction. Truly understanding how to use assessment information to drive instruction is the goal of LETRS Module 8. Participants will review example student data to help make decisions regarding instruction, specifically using the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) as a major screening and progress monitoring tool. No prerequisite knowledge of DIBELS is required in order to benefit from this module. For grades K - 3

Module 9 - Teaching Beginning Spelling and Writing
With major emphasis on the reading skills of our students, writing has often been ignored. What we now find are students whose reading skills are well documented and developed, with written language skills lagging well behind their abilities. LETRS Module 9 attempts to rectify this situation by addressing the components necessary for comprehensive written language instruction for young students. A specific look into the demands of writing, including how written language instruction is outlined, with identified best practices included to use within the classroom setting.
For grades K - 3

Modules 10, 11, 12:

Module 10 - Reading Big Words: Syllabication and Advanced Decoding
The goal of this module is to prepare teachers of students in grades three and above to build upon a foundation of phonics with a structured system of word study and
advanced decoding. Objectives for module 10 include: map phonemes to graphemes in single syllable words; identify and combine six syllable types; divide multisyllabic words using several high-utility principles; sort past-tense and plural words by the sounds of inflection; explore word families derived from a common root; explore the role of prefixes and suffixes.
For grades 3 and up

Module 11 - Writing: A Road to Reading Comprehension
This module is designed for intermediate, middle and high school teachers who wish to learn specific procedures for teaching reading comprehension through skill and strategy instruction that involves written responses. In the first portion of the module, participants in this module will review the many causes of reading comprehension difficulties, know the research consensus on teaching comprehension, and understand the importance of vocabulary knowledge for comprehension. The remainder of the module focuses on learning to implement the Key Three Routine, a model for comprehension strategy instruction that incorporates main idea, note taking, and summarizing into a series of activities that can be used with any content area.
For grades 4 and up

Module 12 - Using Assessment to Guide Instruction
Assessment that informs instruction should be valid, reliable and efficient. This module describes why and how educational evaluation should be used for differentiating instruction from third grade and beyond. It includes informal tests and case studies that demonstrate the recommended approach.
For all grades

Module Presenters

Louisa Moats, Ed.D.
Dr. Louisa Moats has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential books and papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. She began her professional career as a neuropsychology technician and teacher of students with learning disabilities. She earned her Master’s Degree at Peabody College of Vanderbilt and her doctorate in Reading and Human Development from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Moats was director of the NHCID Early Interventions Project in Washington, D.C., conducted through the University of Texas, Houston under the direction of Barbara Foorman. Dr. Moats spent fifteen years as a licensed psychologist in Vermont, specializing in evaluation and consultation with individuals of all ages that experienced learning problems in reading and language.

Dr. Moats has authored several books, including Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers, Straight Talk About Reading, and Parenting a Struggling Reader. She has also written numerous articles and policy papers including the American Federation of Teachers’ “Teaching Reading is Rocket Science” and the Learning Alliance’s Every Child Reading: A Professional Development Guide.

Dr. Moats is currently Consultant Advisor to Sopris West Educational Services for Literacy Research and Professional Development. She is focusing on the improvement of teacher preparation and professional development through the design and dissemination of LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), a series of modules for teachers. She serves on a national board of the International Dyslexia Association.

Carol Tolman, Ed.D.
Carol Tolman, Ed.D., has taught the LETRS modules in states as diverse as Montana, Iowa, Delaware, Texas, Colorado and Louisiana. Her audiences have all given her nothing but the highest praise for her knowledge, presentation style, and teaching ability. Carol comes to both LETRS and DIBELS training from 25 years of classroom and clinical teaching experience in public schools. Carol spent twelve of those years designing and implementing an innovative, exemplary program for academically challenged high school students. Carol’s credentials include a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational psychology from American International College, with a concentration in reading.

Joan Sedita, M.Ed.
Joan is the founding partner of Keys to Literacy, a teacher training company based in Danvers, MA. She has been an educator and nationally recognized teacher trainer for over 30 years. Joan worked at the Landmark School in Massachusetts for 23 years as a teacher, supervisor and principal. She was also founder of the Landmark College Preparation Program, and director of the Landmark Outreach Program. Joan was one of 3 Lead Trainers in MA for the NCLB Reading First Program. She is also a National LETRS author and trainer, a member of the Praxis National Reading Advisory Board, and an adjunct instructor at Fitchburg State College. Joan received her M.Ed. in Reading from Harvard University and her B.A. from Boston College. She has authored a number of books including The Landmark Study Skills Guide, LETRS Module11 – Writing: A Road to Reading Comprehension, Active Learning Strategies Using Kurzweil 3000, The Key Three Routine, and The Key Vocabulary Routine.