Program for Children

Children from the lowest 20% of their class receive intensive one-on-one instruction for 30 minutes daily. After 12 - 20 weeks, most attain an average or better reading level and require no further help.

Program for Educators

Reading Recovery educators participate in a full year of university-based training, followed by supportive, ongoing professional development at the local, regional, and national levels.

Research and Evaluation

Reading Recovery is a data-based intervention. Numerous individual studies support the intervention's success, and ongoing data collection for every child served in North America ensures intervention integrity.

Network Activities

Reading Recovery educators, administrators, and institutions form an early literacy network dedicated to making it possible for all children to become literate. Network activities include research, publications, and professional development.

Model for Teachers

Intensive, year-long, graduate courses are required to prepare educators to become Reading Recovery Teachers. Graduate coursework prepares teachers to become observer's of children's reading and writing behaviors while observing that learning through the use of one-way mirrors. The Reading Recovery teacher continues on-going professional development after the graduate coursework for the continual growth and refinement of theories on how best to teach for accelerated literacy learning.

Model for Teacher Leaders

Intense, year-long graduate courses involving literacy theories, observation and demonstration of children's literacy learning, and leadership are required to prepare educators to become Teacher Leaders. Teacher Leaders provide initial training, continuing contact, and literacy assistance at school and district levels. They must be employed by a local school district, cooperative and/or consortium.

Why implement Reading Recovery?

Because it:

  • Serves high-risk children and diminishes their numbers
  • Is curriculum independent and provides equality for diverse populations
  • Delivers a high level of teacher training without removing the teacher from their work
  • Provides built-in coaching and evaluation within the host district
  • Ties program evaluation, teacher evaluation, and training evaluation directly to student performance
  • Involves cooperation between the university, state, and school levels of education
  • Enables teachers to be accountable observers of children and consistent designers of curriculum