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Compass PD Podcast with Dr. Carrie Hepburn
Research says the single most influential way to impact instruction is by increasing the knowledge of the educators who teach it. Join Dr. Carrie Hepburn as she talks with fellow educators on how we impact student achievement through professional development.
Compass PD Podcast with Dr. Carrie Hepburn
Episode 63: Tools for Teachers: Making LETRS Work in Your Classroom
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In this episode of the Compass PD Podcast, Carrie Hepburn and Dr. Stephanie Brenner discuss how the Comprehensive Standards Guides (CSGs) can help educators effectively implement the learning gained from LETRS training. As a former LETRS trainer, Dr. Brenner shares her insights on bridging the gap between professional development and classroom application.
Listeners will learn how unpacked standards, progressions, and proficiency scales can support instruction in areas like phonological awareness, phonics, and morphology. With practical strategies and actionable steps, this episode is a must-listen for educators and leaders looking to maximize the impact of LETRS training on student learning.
Aligning Letters Training With Standards
Speaker 1Hello and welcome to the Compass PD podcast , where we dive into evidence-based practices and research-driven strategies that empower educators and leaders to make a lasting impact . I'm Dr Keri Hepburn , your host , alongside Dr Stephanie Brenner . Hi Stephanie , hi Keri . I am really excited about what we're exploring today . We are going to be talking about the Comprehensive Standards Guides , or UNPACT Standards , and how it can support the learning that many of our teachers and leaders are receiving through their letters . Training and I know this is going to be a subject that resonates with many people , but I also know that this is a subject that is near and dear to Dr Brenner's heart .
Speaker 2Yes , I could talk about letters , training for hours upon hours with anybody who will listen . And we could also talk about the CSGs for hours and hours with anybody who could listen . So it would be we could make this really long , but we're not . We're going to be like short and sweet Get ready .
Speaker 1We're going to shock and awe people because we're going to use less words today . So , whether you're a teacher administrator or a district leader , our goal is to provide you with insights and tools that can help you navigate the complexities of education and inspire student success . What many of you may not know is that Dr Stephanie Brenner was a letters trainer for her district that she served in . She was a letters trainer for many years , and so our district started the training and utilizing the information to create our own phonics program and house created program . I have to believe it was 15 years ago . It was in 2010 .
Speaker 2I know .
Speaker 1Oh , my goodness .
Speaker 2I know it because I my first day of letters training was my first day back from maternity leave with Benjamin oh my gosh . I know that it was 2010 .
Speaker 1Oh my gosh , I know that it was 2010 . Well , and what I know , stephanie , is that you talk about the training and to become a letters trainer with some of the most powerful professional learning you've ever received .
Speaker 2It is I will for , until maybe something greater will come , but but that was probably the most transformational learning in my career as well , so I loved the experience and the learning received in learners training .
Speaker 1I think one of the biggest problems that we run into is that teachers receive the training , and the training is the theory , the learning , the knowledge , but they really struggle with the implementation , the application of that learning in the classroom Right . What do you think about that ?
Speaker 2I think absolutely , and one of the reasons for that , I believe , is that as educators , we're used to going to professional learning development that is meant to be like here go do this tomorrow , here's a tip or a trick , Go do this tomorrow . And letters . So we enter with that mindset or expectation . However , letters training is not that . Letters is , it's the literacy essentials for teachers of reading , and spelling is the acronym for letter or the real title of letters . So , but letters is about growing teacher knowledge , educator knowledge . It is not about tips and tricks . There are tips and tricks embedded , but it is simply about growing your knowledge , just like a college course of the things that you wish you would have got in college , quite honestly . So then they teach or struggle with okay , here's all this learning . Now , what do I do to reflect this learning once I get to the classroom ?
Speaker 1For sure , and I think something that we run into a lot is that people believe that they're they don't . They believe that it's like one more thing that is being added to their plate . So they don't understand the connection between their standards and the letters and how they fit together , and really that's going to be what we're talking about today is how they work together . You use the learning , growing your teacher knowledge , to bring to life those standards . So we're going to talk about how teachers need to have that information from their unpacked standards . They need to understand what the common definitions and the vocabulary have definitions for that common vocabulary that are within their standards . They need to know their objectives , have learning progressions with implicit and explicit learning and those proficiency scales for every standard .
Speaker 1So districts do that work , sometimes in-house , and then we're seeing districts utilize our comprehensive standards guides , as Dr Brenner mentioned CSGs for those of you when you hear us say that , the CSGs . So you don't have to have the CSGs to do this , but you need to have your standards unpacked with definitions , progressions and proficiency scales . So today what we're going to talk about is really about how to implement the learning from letters and how that aligns with your standards and how people that we work with , how they can utilize a tool like their comprehensive standards guides or your unpacked standards and your progression to bring that letters training to life . So it's bringing that teacher knowledge and applying it in the classroom and making an impact , Right ? So let's get started really quickly with a big question how do you implement the learning gathered in letters training in the classroom ?
Speaker 2implement the learning gathered in letters ? Training in the classroom ? My first suggestion , which is going to be probably the hardest , is you have to determine your purpose , because the information you're getting is coming at you from many , many different angles , is coming at you from many , many different angles , and so you need to decide . Am I looking to do this learning in my whole group instruction ? Am I looking to do this during intervention time only , in a small group instruction , whatever part of the day ? What are you thinking about ? Where are you thinking about implementing this instruction ? And you have to only pick one area to focus your it's days , hours worth of learning and you have to pick just one area . So what ? What's your purpose and what area are you focusing on ? So , for example , you might be um the early elementary teachers or a preschool teacher and you want to work on phonological awareness .
Speaker 2You could be any teacher and want to work on the area of phonics . You could be like syllable types . That could be the thing that you're , that's resonating with you and you want to focus on implementing instruction in syllable types , or especially our older grades . Maybe it's morphology You're worried . You're going to concentrate on incorporating morphology instruction as your area of focus . So once you determine your purpose and you narrow it down to one focus , you can't do all of that . Learning as the . I'm going to implement all of this you . You'll fail . Like learn , learn from me . You can't do it . I tried , so you . That will be a failed attempt and I don't want that to happen to you .
Speaker 1Well , and I think what we are able to do when we work with schools and districts is , like you mentioned , we did this in 2010 and we're almost 15 years from that , so we can talk to people about things , that predictable problems that they will face as they come out of this training , and help them avoid some of the mistakes that we made as a school district , in our curriculum department , in our instruction , in the implementation .
Speaker 2So and we've done it more than yeah , more than one time so yes , and , as a coach , knowing like we have to narrow this focus down , yes , and also narrow the purpose . That's why I said , like you need to know , are you doing this whole group , small group or intervention time , so you can focus solely on that . So once you know where you're doing it , your purpose and then also what area of focus you're going to have , then you need to decide one strategy to implement . And I will tell you , like the number of strategies that come out of letters , training is astronomical . I wish that people could see my old notebooks and my manuals and all the things that I did took , things that I took notes on .
Speaker 2So the strategies that are given might include , like , when you're doing phonological awareness , there's always a lot of tapping of the individual sounds . There's orthographic mapping or sound mapping , so you're pushing little manipulatives up to represent the sounds . Some of the other standard or strategies are given are routines for breaking big words apart . There are a lot of routines for phonological awareness practice and how you might create anchor charts for things like affix , prefix or suffix maps and concept maps . So you need to pick one strategy so you know where you're doing this , what your area of focus is and what one strategy is that you're going to work on so that you can start then to gather the things you need Right ? You can start then to gather the things you need Right , and one of the predictable problems that I run into that is , I hear often from teachers and I ran into this myself is that when it's time to start gathering resources and resources can be things like manipulatives and books and papers and the little charts that kids are going to need to do their mapping and their tapping so it could be things , but it can also be other types of resources in the sense of do I have a teacher's manual ? Do I have something that's going to give me direction on what to say and what to do ? And that's the predictable problem , I think is like , when it's time to gather resources , it is a barrier for many people is what is it that I use to help me know what to say while I'm trying to implement the strategy in this focused area ? And that is where your standards come in .
Speaker 2Yes , if your district doesn't have a provided resource , and even if it does , using your unpacked standards , where you get a very clear common definition of all the vocabulary , you get objectives that help you know what is it the kids need to know , what are they supposed to be able to do for this one standard and the hierarchy of those skills which comes in the progressions , and then the proficiency scale , so that you can assess and if your district doesn't provide those , you can , you can make or you can , you can unpack , your own standards . Yes , and then some other things that you might need are district provided curriculum resources and even some things that letters and that training provides a lot of research based , evidence based resources that many of them are free , that they will recommend that you can use as a , as guidance for your instruction . Once you have some of those like physical things that you need , you have to think about the assessment that you're going to use , and that is really an important step that might be missed Because you , if you know your area of focus , you know the strategy , where do you start in the instruction , and the assessment is going to help you know where to start . So having that really dependable assessment that actually assesses the standard that you're wanting to work on right is really important , because after you have the assessment , then you can decide where do your kids fall in the progression of learning . That's provided within the unpacked standard , so in the CSGs .
Speaker 2So I'm going to think through an example . So I'm , if I'm a Second grade teacher and I pick the area of syllable instruction that I want to , that's my area of focus in my small groups . So I'm going to do small groups syllable instruction and the strategy that I'm going to use is breaking big words apart . So then I have some resources and I give an assessment on like watching kids break words into syllables , asking kids to read words aloud . Then I can start to gather some things that are going to help me do that instruction
Empowering Teachers With Language Knowledge
Speaker 2. But with my unpacked standard I can look at the progression of where are kids in their syllable knowledge .
Speaker 2Are they only know open syllables . They only know closed syllables . They need instruction still on vowel consonant E syllables . Are there other kids that need vowel team syllables or all in just one syllable , versus kids who are ready to do that work in multiple syllables ? So my unpacked standard helps me see the progression and I can say , oh , these kids are working on one syllable words with vowel teams . These kids are doing two syllable words with vowel consonant E . These kids are in the progression of like three syllable words and they're still needing help with consonant le syllables . Yes , so then I have my groups right . Right , how I can start the instruction . Yeah , that allows me to incorporate the learning about syllable types that I've learned from letter . I can start teaching kids how to find , how to notice those syllable types , how to find them , to break words apart so they can read them .
Speaker 2And when they're writing , I can start how to use that knowledge while they're writing to write words with multiple syllables . So you have to do all of that pre-type of work in order to get to the place where we can purposefully plan our instruction . That incorporates all of the learning I now have as an adult about syllable types . Yes , yes .
Speaker 1When you think about a progression , what's so nice is if you have a really strong , you need a really strong vertical alignment of that progression that aligns with the standards , and then teachers have the information that they need . So if they need to go to a different grade level depending on where kids are falling , they can use that information from that unpack standard , that grade level and then the information from letters to responsibly teach based on where the kids are . So we do see a lot of people . When you start to understand that vertical progression , you start to understand your standards and then you have all this amazing knowledge from letters what you can do . And it's key , you have to make sure it's all vertically aligned . Now you have the power that you can intervene or you can extend , because you're seeing how they fit together . They are isolated pieces that are adding more to your plate . It's like empowering you . I love that .
Speaker 2Because every class like if I go back to my second grade class , there's not a second grade class in the country that has kids who are only at a second grade level . Yes , there are kids in every second grade class that are at a first grade level , and I would even dare to say kindergarten level , and a third grade level and a fourth grade level .
Speaker 2So the standards , the unpacked standards or the CSGs , help teachers have the knowledge of K to four even though I'm a second grade teacher Right , so that I can determine where my students are in that progression of learning and then I can teach using the strategies I'm learning in letters , and so I know that I'm going to have kids or my instruction needs to include a lot of repetition , a ton of repetition . I have to do a lot of modeling , I have to use some of the kinesthetics . I know that my language has to be very clear , direct and explicit . We're not doing like guessing game kind of instruction , and I'm learning these things from letters . I'm also learning about syllable types myself . As an adult , I can say those exact things to the kids , and that would . That's where the power comes is now that .
Speaker 2I have my . I know where my kids are in that progression of learning . Now I know what to say to them .
Speaker 1And .
Speaker 2I can plan really purposely for that . I love that A predictable problem . I would suggest that teachers help keep themselves out of this , because before you teach , when it's time to do that planning , you have to determine ahead of time what are you going to say and what examples are you going to use , because you can kind of quickly get yourself in trouble and it's really hard to come up with examples on the fly that help kids practice things like hearing sounds and words or blending sounds or taking sounds away or different syllable type or words that have the different syllable types . You have to plan that ahead of time , um , so that you're really well prepared and , um , you know you don't get yourself into , um , a place where you have kids add a sound or take away a sound and it accidentally makes an inappropriate word .
Speaker 1And that happens , it's happened , it's happened , probably happened in my second and third grade class a time or two .
Speaker 2So learn from our mistakes . You're like all of a sudden like oh wait , no , nevermind , Don't say that . Yes for sure , oh , I love it so good . There is such power in all of the information that comes from letters , training , and there's so much that , without a plan and without a focus , it can be paralyzing .
Speaker 1Yes , because you don't know where to start yes , it's not about the application , it's about increasing your content knowledge . Yes , and there are .
Speaker 2I think , if I had to put a name on , the biggest barrier that keeps teachers from implementing the learning in their classrooms is the systems within our school districts are not in place to support teachers' implementation of the learning . So , the system being like , do teachers have the opportunity in their PLC time to collectively pick an area of focus , picking one strategy , collectively gathering the resources and being able to plan together and collectively , have good assessments at their tool , at their fingertips , and then good resources that help them implement the instruction as well ? So the systems are often one of the barriers that keep teachers from implementing the instruction in their classrooms as well .
Speaker 1Yes , I agree this was so good , stephanie . I think some things that I took away . It's really important to help create systems , like you mentioned , that allow our teachers the opportunity for purposeful planning and purposeful implementation . So there's a lot of steps that are required to bring that letters training to life in the classroom . It's going to take time , based on our experience , because , like we mentioned , we've done this for a while and with thousands of teachers over 15 years and being in a school district that was a suburban large school district , so we we can , we talk with people a lot about it , but we want to narrow that focus . So we're not trying to do all the things and we need to to show how that works and aligns with what you're doing , with your standard work . It's not something separate , and making a plan ahead of time , not trying to do it in the moment , is critical .
Speaker 2Yes , Did I get kind of the big ideas there ? You nailed the big ideas . Yes , it's . There is so much that without a purposeful plan , it'll be wasted learning , which is incredibly unfortunate .
Speaker 1Yes , yes , you don't want this to be a box checked on off the list . You want this to be applied , this learning to be applied , and it doesn't have to mean that you purchase a resource . We've done it time and again , yes , and seen great growth , which actually we got some really great news today , but I'll share that with you later , dr Brenner , from recently from school districts . So we want to thank you for joining us on the Compass PD .
Speaker 2Yeah , I'm sorry to interrupt you , it's okay . You said something that really struck me that I want to make sure that we're really clear to is that letters isn't a program that you implement , and I think that's a huge misconception that people are like , oh , we're doing letters . Yes , you're not information . Right , you might start incorporating some of those practices in your curriculum , but it is . Letters is about growing teacher knowledge . It is not a resource to be implemented , it is teacher knowledge to be implemented . It is teacher knowledge to be implemented that is based on research and it's evidence-based as well .
Teacher Training for Continuous Growth
Speaker 2This information is not new . It is . I mean , we did it in 2010 and it is from . They have changed their , they've updated , because that's just who they are . Yes , the authors of this are updating the information . However , we've known the science of this research for decades . Yes , and it's finally getting in teachers' hands . Yes , yes , and that's the exciting thing . So it's the approach of I'm growing as an adult , as a teacher , my own knowledge of how to teach reading , writing and spelling to my students . I'm not going to this training to implement a new program . Right , going to grow as an adult and a professional .
Speaker 2So you said something and I was like , oh wait , I want to make sure that we end on , we're clear that it's not a program you're implementing . It is the mindset of growing my knowledge thank you very much thanks .
Speaker 1Thank you for the explicitness .
Speaker 2Yeah , we're kind of nerdy I learned a lot .
Speaker 1I know , I know I love , I really appreciate it . Um , I was a teacher . I did not become a trainer , so I was in the teaching role as we were going through this , and then in the curriculum roles when we went through it again . So I appreciate it and I could do it again and again . Every time I gained something new . Thank you for joining us on the Compass PD podcast . Remember , at Compass PD , we believe that every educator has the power to inspire , change and transform student learning . Stay focused , stay inspired and keep making a difference .