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Building the LETRS Bridge

Transferring Learning to Practice

Stacie Wood, LETRS State Success Manager

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Stacie L. Wood, M.S. Ed

Lexia LETRS State Success Manager

★ "Speducator” of 23 years

District Level Specialist

RRtCP Trainer/Coach
Dyslexia Delegate
Textbook Commissioner
Trainer/Coach for EBPs

★ Former Lexia LETRS National Professional Learning Facilitator

★ Adjunct Professor

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By the end of the session, participants will:

Understand LETRS three-pronged approach to professional learning and the importance of the Bridge to Practice activities for educators
Consider best practices for Bridge to Practice guidelines for your district
Collaborate with others to share ideas about Bridge to Practice activities

Intended Outcomes

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Learning to read is complex!

LETRS bridges decades of evidence-based research into classroom success.

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LETRS

Three-pronged approach to professional learning

Online Course with

Print Participant Book

Facilitated Professional Learning

Sessions

Bridge

to

Practice Activities

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Integrated

Bridge to Practice Exercises

LETRS EC

10 BtP (30 min each to complete)

LETRS 3E

Vol 1 - 8 BtP in each of the 4 units
Vol 2 - 6 BtP in each of the four units
Total of 56 BtP activities

(approx. 2.5 hours to complete per unit)

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Let’s take a look at the

Bridge to Practice

Activities for

LETRS 3E

Turn & Talk

You may be wondering…

How do we keep track of our progress?
What are ways in which teachers can converse and learn from each other?
How often should teachers meet to discuss their BtP work?

https://bit.ly/BtPActivities

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Suggestions for Best Practices from the Field

Keeping track of teacher progress

Each teacher keeps a portfolio with completed Bridge to Classroom activities. At the end of each unit, teachers submit their portfolios to instructional coaches for confirmation of completion.

Our administrators created a shared google drive for teachers to capture their BtP activities. These are checked by either admin or literacy coaches within the school.

Principals are checking in with teachers weekly during PLCs. However, the Bridge to Practice must be uploaded into a Google Folder in December and June.

LETRS Coaches collected teacher Bridge to Practice activities at the end of each unit to verify that teachers had completed the needed tasks. At the end of the year they were submitted and shared with administration.

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Suggestions for Best Practices from the Field

Conversing and learning from each other

The PLC guidance/support documents are provided to school leaders and they are using this as a resource to help guide PLC work surrounding LETRS.

Teachers discuss their Bridge to Practice work in weekly PLCs.

The district provided a mandatory workday, an early release day, and provided a sub for a half day to ALL teachers in the district for LETRS work.

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Suggestions for Best Practices from the Field

How often do teachers meet to discuss their BtP work?

Instructional coaches lead conversation about Bridge to Practice activities 1x per week.
Teachers will meet twice a month, with the Curriculum Specialist
Teachers discuss BtP at least once a month. These discussions are lead by our administrators or school level coaches.
The school's instructional coach leads monthly PLCs to discuss Bridge to Practice work with teachers.
The lead teacher and principal of the school lead the PLCs. PLCs meet weekly, but school leaders decide which PLCs will focus on LETRS work and it may vary school by school.

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Suggestions for Best Practices from the Field

What successes are you seeing from this work and classroom implementation?

Bridge to Practice is the actual work and application of knowledge and skills learned. This work helps to determine student need and instructional modifications
Teachers are able to make connections and understand why we do what we do. Teachers also want to change their instructional practices.
Teachers are becoming more aware of student learning and how to use data to drive instruction.
Teachers are definitely understanding the struggles that students are having.
We are seeing teachers shift from balanced literacy to explicitly, systematic and sequential instruction with foundations skills. All classes are equipped with a Sound Wall and have removed Word Walls. Teachers are working with decodable readers in small groups to forester the growth of the skills taught in whole group. Teachers and administrators now have a better understanding of the foundational skills needed for students to be successful.
Teachers are utilizing the PAST assessment from LETRS and they are getting great data from this assessment.

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Suggestions for Best Practices from the Field

What barriers did you face?

Time!

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What ideas come to mind for the way your district/school could consider for best practices with the Bridge to Practice Activities?

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Making Connections:

BtP Discussion Guides

https://bit.ly/BtPGuides

In Breakout Rooms:

Choose a speaker from each room to share with the whole group.

Discuss:

What would be your top 3 questions to cover in a PLC and why?

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Thank you.

For more information, please contact �Stacie Wood - stacie.wood@lexialearning.com