During the week of June 27, the Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction (CELI) and Barkdale Reading Institute (BRI) partnered to provide a Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional development opportunity for IHL reading faculty from 12 different colleges or universities across the state.

Faculty who complete the training and pass an assessment, will be able to use the LETRS modules in pre-service teacher training at their respective colleges and universities. Institutions represented include: Alcorn State University, Belhaven University, Blue Mountain College, Delta State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi College, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, Tougaloo College, University of Mississippi, University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.

The IHL faculty participating in this LETRS opportunity are at a tremendous advantage for meeting any requirements developed by Governor’s Task Force on Teacher Preparation for Early Literacy in the future.  Mississippi’s focus on early literacy demands that pre-service teachers are prepared to meet the needs of p-12 students on day one of their professional careers.

The LETRS modules are also offered to in-service teachers across the state by the Mississippi Department of Education.