The Shaler Area School District is committed to enhancing education for students through leveraging the latest research and innovations in instruction for our students.
LETRS is an intensive, evidence-based professional learning course rooted in the science of reading. Unlike a traditional curriculum, LETRS empowers educators with the “why” and “how” behind language acquisition. Over the past two years, our teachers have delved into the deep neurological and linguistic research required to master the five pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Michelle Rydzak, first-grade teacher at Marzolf Primary, shared, “I learned that it’s never too late to learn and incorporate fresh ideas into my classroom practice. Sometimes, we have effective strategies and tools in our teacher toolbox that simply haven’t been used in a while, gathering dust as we fall into familiar routines. The LETRS training helped me to remember to pull some of those practices out, dust them off, and start using them again! In particular, the writing unit was insightful, offering a deeper understanding of the reading-writing connection that has already begun to transform my daily instruction.”
Heather DeAngelo, Reading Specialist for the district explains, “LETRS has provided kindergarten-third grade teachers in our district with comprehensive foundational knowledge in the Science of Reading. We then have had the opportunity to embed this knowledge into our classrooms in a purposeful manner to enhance our current reading instruction. Whether the instructor is a classroom teacher, special education teacher, or reading specialist, professional development has been consistent, which allows the highest quality of instruction that meets the reading needs of all learners. LETRS has also allowed us to use our Science of Reading knowledge to adjust our current ELA instruction in a way that aligns better to the research and promotes reading development and growth for each child.” This training ensures that Shaler Area remains at the forefront of instructional best practices, providing our staff with the diagnostic tools to meet every student where they are.
