Alabama LETRS Literacy Symposium

Thank you for your interest in the Alabama LETRS^® Symposium, a premier professional development event about the latest research concerning the science of reading and how the Alabama LETRS professional learning experience is helping to fine tune the challenging work of teaching literacy.

Literacy Educators are Reading Scientists

Voyager Sopris Learning^® is pleased to host the Alabama LETRS^® Symposium, featuring renowned literacy experts Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson.

On June 27—29, 2021, at The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL, educators are invited to network and collaborate with their colleagues about the science of reading, the requirements of the Alabama Literacy Act, and a variety of topics that impact student literacy success. Attendees will be joined by education leaders from the Alabama State Department of Education, the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

In addition to keynote presentations by Drs. Moats and Hart Paulson, the symposium program will include breakout sessions about:

The Alabama Literacy Act
LETRS and ESL students
Connecting reading and writing
Phonological awareness
Pre-writing with I Can Draw
Structured Literacy and dyslexia
Coaching the science of reading
Pre-Service teacher implications
Using diagnostic reading assessments

More sessions and presenters will be added prior to the event.

Alabama LETRS Symposium features nationally recognized literacy experts and trainers:

Louisa Moats, Ed.D.
Dr. Moats is known for her many publications about reading instruction, the professional development of teachers, and the relationship between language, reading, and spelling. Her books include Spelling: Development, Disability and Instruction (York Press), Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers (Brookes), Parenting a Struggling Reader (with Susan L. Hall, Broadway Books), and LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) (Voyager Sopris Learning).
Lucy Hart Paulson, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Hart Paulson is a literacy specialist with years of experience working with young children and their families in public school, Head Start, private, and university settings. She is on the faculty of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at the University of Montana, sharing responsibilities for teaching, supervising, research, and service. Her authorship includes LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling); Building Early Literacy and Language Skills (BELLS), a resource and activity guide for young children; and Good Talking Words, a social communication skills program for preschool and kindergarten classes.
Antonio Fierro, Ed.D.
Dr. Fierro is a member of the national cohort of LETRS instructors and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas at El Paso. His professional areas of interest include instruction for the English learner, early childhood education, reading foundations, Spanish phonology, and educational leadership. He is an award-winning early childhood educator and former school district administrator.