What is 'Reading Recovery'?
Reading Recovery is a research-based early intervention program to reduce reading and writing failure. It was developed in New Zealand by educator and psychologist Dame Marie Clay.
Research by Clay and a team of teachers culminated in a set of Reading Recovery procedures that were trialed in several New Zealand schools.
The program's success resulted in the nationwide implementation of Reading Recovery in New Zealand in the early 1980s.
Since then, Reading Recovery has expanded not just to Australia, but has also been adopted as an effective literacy intervention program in the United States, Canada, Ireland and Denmark.
The strategies Clay used to develop the Reading Recovery program were based on her intensive research in many classrooms on what are good literacy practices.
As a result, the Reading Recovery program has been heralded by many as a catalyst for change in literacy practices in schools.
The Reading Recovery program:
- Identifies students experiencing reading and writing difficulties after their first year of school
- Provides intensive one to one teaching
The early years are critical for students who are at risk of failure, as this period sets the stage for later learning. Without such intervention, students often require expensive long-term remedial assistance.
By intervening in the second year of school, Reading Recovery can halt the cycle of failure for students at risk and, through intensive daily instruction, generally bring the lowest literacy performers up to average classroom levels within 12 to 20 weeks.
The program's goal is for students to continue to succeed in a supportive classroom environment without any or very little additional support.
Therefore, Reading Recovery is not generally considered to be a remedial reading program. Rather, it is based on early identification to prevent reading failure from occurring.