• Informational Sheet about Reading Recovery Training 2008-2009
• Reading Recovery Training Application 2008-2009
• Reading Recovery Schools and Teachers in Prince William County 2008-2009
  

WHAT IS READING RECOVERY?

Reading Recovery is an individualized tutoring program for the lowest-achieving readers in a first grade class. In the Reading Recovery program, children receive individual daily lessons from a specially trained teacher. By intervening early on, Reading Recovery can halt the cycle of failure for at-risk children and can enable them to become independent readers and writers who can fully participate with other first grade students in their classroom instruction, reading at average or above average levels.

Reading Recovery was developed by New Zealand educator and psychologist Dr. Marie Clay, who conducted observational research in the mid-1960s that enabled her to design ways for detecting early reading difficulties of children. In the mid-1970s, she developed Reading Recovery procedures with teachers and tested the program in New Zealand. The success of this pilot program led to the nationwide adoption of the program in New Zealand, and to the eventual spread of Reading Recovery to the United States and many other countries around the world.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Children are selected for the program based on individual measures of assessment and teacher judgement. Their regular classroom instruction is then supplemented with daily one-to-one 30-minute lessons for 12-20 weeks with a specially trained teacher. The lessons consist of a variety of activities designed to help children develop effective strategies for reading and writing. Each child's program is unique; through careful observation and decision-making, the teacher designs a program to fit each individual student's needs at that particular moment. Instruction continues until the child can read at or above the class average and has demonstrated the use of independent reading and writing strategies. The student's daily tutoring is then "discontinued", providing the opportunity for another child to enter Reading Recovery.

TEACHER TRAINING

In Reading Recovery, teacher training consists of a year-long curriculum that integrates theory and practice and is characterized by intensive collaboration with colleagues. Following the training year, teachers continue to develop professionally through ongoing interaction with their colleagues and instructors. Reading Recovery teachers work with children in front of their colleagues in a practice called "Behind the Glass." The teacher and child go into a sound-proof room with a one-way glass mirror, and while teacher and child work together, the rest of the teachers and the instructor watch the lesson and discuss what they are seeing.

Reading Recovery teachers usually spend a half day teaching Reading Recovery students and the other half day working in classrooms, teaching small groups of students, or working with classroom teachers in a coaching model. Teachers work with a minimum of four Reading Recovery students daily.

CHARACTERISTICS OF READING RECOVERY LESSONS

Many early literacy programs try to move at-risk children along an artificial continuum by teaching skills that somehow "add up" to good reading and writing. In contrast, Reading Recovery teachers carefully observe each student as a reader and writer, and make instructional decisions based on what each particular child needs. By working from the unique knowledge base of at-risk students in a one-to-one lesson format, Reading Recovery teachers move well beyond the traditional "skills and drills" approach associated with remedial programs. While the parts of the lesson are the same on most days, the particular books read, the messages written, and the interactions the teacher has with the child are individually crafted to meet his or her needs. Thus, each lesson and the path of progress for each child are different.

The goal of Reading Recovery is accelerated learning. Each child is expected to make faster-than-average progress so that he or she can catch up with other children in the class. The majority of Reading Recovery children typically reach an average reading level after 12-20 weeks of daily instruction. During this period, they continue to work in the regular classroom for all but 30 minutes each day (the length of the Reading Recovery lesson itself). With the assistance of their Reading Recovery teacher, children learn the strategies that good readers use to solve their reading problems, and continue to improve their reading and writing each time they engage in those tasks.

READING RECOVERY'S IMPACT ON INSTRUCTION IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY

In Prince William County, we are finding that Reading Recovery is making a difference not only for the individual students it serves, but is helping to make good language arts instruction even better at the school and district level. Reading Recovery teachers regularly share instructional strategies for young readers and writers with their teaching colleagues, and are often involved in professional development opportunities for teachers district-wide. We realize that the key to a successful Reading Recovery program lies in the quality of instruction each Reading Recovery student receives back in the classroom. Our at-risk youngsters need the best possible instruction throughout their entire day, and a team approach between Reading Recovery teachers and classroom teachers helps to make each student's learning experience a successful one.

TEACHER LEADERS

Reading Recovery is led by Teacher Leaders who work with the teachers implementing the program, and ensure that students receive the best possible instruction.  In Prince William County our Teacher Leaders are:

Roberta Apostolakis, Ellis Elementary School, phone 703.365.8541, or by e-mail  apostarx@pwcs.edu
Marcia Hoenle, Swans Creek Elementary School, phone 703.445.0930, or by e-mail  hoenlemj@pwcs.edu