Lexia LETRS Professional Learning Insights From an Illinois Literacy Director

Across Illinois, district leaders are working to move beyond balanced literacy and adopt evidence-based practices aligned with the science of reading. For former director of literacy Shyla Kinhal, Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning offered a path forward. As her district transitioned away from the Lucy Calkins curriculum, Kinhal recognized sustainable change would require more than new materials. Teachers needed to understand the why behind the shift and feel supported as they rethought their instructional approach.

LETRS delivered both. Kinhal describes LETRS as a vehicle for building shared understanding and instructional confidence, allowing educators to reflect, take risks, and connect deeply with Scarborough's Reading Rope. With all staff engaged in the same learning journey, teachers felt safe saying, “Here is what I used to do, and here is how I want to grow.”

The impact has been clear. In schools where educators are deeply engaged in LETRS, they are making meaningful connections between high-quality curriculum and the practices they're learning through professional learning. LETRS helps teachers translate research into instruction that reaches every student.

Because it is content-rich and curriculum-agnostic, LETRS strengthens any literacy initiative. It empowers educators with lasting knowledge—equipping them to lead instructional transformation with purpose and clarity.