When you're searching for help with your child's reading, you'll run into a lot of credentials and acronyms. One you may keep seeing is LETRS. If you've wondered what it means and why it matters, this one's for you.
LETRS, defined
LETRS stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. It's a deep, rigorous professional training program, often spanning many months and dozens of hours, that teaches educators the science behind how children learn to read and write, and how to put that science into practice.
It is not a quick workshop or a certificate you pick up in an afternoon. LETRS digs into the nuts and bolts of language: how speech sounds work, how those sounds map to print, how spelling patterns are organized, how vocabulary and comprehension develop, and, crucially, what to do when a child isn't learning to read as expected.
Why it matters for your child
Here's something that surprises a lot of parents: most classroom teachers, through no fault of their own, were never taught the science of reading in their teacher-preparation programs. For years, that science simply wasn't part of the curriculum. Many wonderful, dedicated teachers entered the classroom without a clear roadmap for what to do with a child who's struggling to decode.
LETRS fills that gap. A LETRS-trained educator understands:
- Why a child might be struggling (Is it phonemic awareness? Decoding? Fluency? Comprehension?).
- How to teach reading explicitly, systematically, and in the right sequence.
- What to do specifically for struggling readers and kids with dyslexia.
In other words, LETRS training means I'm not guessing about your child's difficulty. I can pinpoint where the breakdown is happening and target it directly, rather than throwing more of the same instruction at a problem that needs a different approach.
How LETRS connects to structured literacy
LETRS is grounded in structured literacy, the explicit, systematic, evidence-based approach that the science of reading supports. It pairs naturally with methods like Orton-Gillingham and UFLI (the University of Florida Literacy Institute's instruction), which I'm also trained in. Together, these give me a clear, research-backed framework for teaching the building blocks of reading in a way that actually sticks, especially for kids who've struggled with other approaches.
What this looks like in a tutoring session
Practically, LETRS training shows up in how I work with your child:
- I assess carefully to find the real source of the difficulty, not just the symptom.
- I teach the sounds and patterns of English directly and in a logical order.
- I build in lots of practice and review so skills become automatic.
- I adjust constantly based on how your child responds, because the science also tells us how to teach responsively.
The goal isn't just to get through a worksheet. It's to rewire how your child approaches reading, so they go from guessing and dreading it to decoding with confidence.
What to look for in a reading tutor
When you're choosing someone to help your child, training matters more than almost anything. Look for someone who can speak clearly about the science of reading and structured literacy, who has real training (LETRS, Orton-Gillingham, or similar), and who assesses before they teach. A warm personality is wonderful, but it's the combination of warmth and expertise that changes outcomes.
As a LETRS- and UFLI-trained reading specialist with my M.Ed., that's exactly what I bring to every child I work with across Gresham, Boring, and the Portland metro. If you'd like to understand what your child needs and how the right kind of teaching can help, I'd love to talk with you.
Debbie Sexton, M.Ed. | NorthStar Tutoring
Call or text 503-809-4120 | northstar.dksxtn@gmail.com
LETRS- and UFLI-trained reading and dyslexia specialist serving Gresham, OR and the Portland metro.
Ready to help your child become a confident reader? I offer one-on-one reading tutoring — including dyslexia tutoring and early-literacy support for grades K–3 — in person around Gresham and Portland or online across Oregon. As a LETRS-trained reading specialist, I’d love to help. Call or text (503) 809-4120 for a free consultation.