Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-on-one tutoring for first graders experiencing the most difficulty in reading.  Students receive a half-hour lesson each school day for 12 to 20 weeks with a specially trained Reading Recovery teacher.  As soon as students can read and write at grade level, their lessons are discontinued and new students receive individual instruction. 

 

 

There are many reasons why a child may find reading and writing difficult at first.  The children taken into Reading Recovery are those who have made the least progress relative to their classmates.  With one-on-one teaching children make faster progress because the teacher can design the lessons to suit a particular child"s strengths. 

 

 

A key premise of Reading Recovery is that early intervention in first grade is critical.  Research shows that children who fall behind in Grade 1 tend to remain below grade level in later school years.  Early intervention is important becuase the gap between the lowest and highest performing children is narrow in lower grades but widens later in elementary school.  Although all children progress in Reading Recovery lessons, a few do not make the accelerated progress needed to succeed without extra help.  These children may be recommended for additional evaluation. 

 

There are two possible outcomes after a full series of Reading Recovery lessons, both positive:

1. The child makes accelerated progress and continues to progress thereafter with classroom instruction.

2. Additional evaluation is recommended and further action is initiated to help the child continue to make progress.