What is Reading Recovery?

Reading Recovery® is a proven, short-term early literacy program for first-grade children having extreme difficulty learning to read and write.

For an average of 12 to 20 weeks children receive daily, one-on-one, 30-minute lessons taught by a specially trained teacher.

The results? All children improve their reading and writing skills, while approximately 75% reach their grade level after 20 weeks.

"The goal of Reading Recovery is to dramatically reduce the number of learners who have extreme difficulty with literacy learning and the cost of these learners to education systems." -Marie Clay, founder, Reading Recovery

"Reading Recovery rescues many students who would otherwise fall further and further behind and wind up getting unnecessary special education services and/or continuing in school careers marked by failure and distress. In addition, Reading Recovery teachers are ambassadors of enlightened, research-based, highly effective practices that carry over into their colleagues' classrooms."

--Kim Marshall, former principal, Mather School, Boston, Mass., principal coach consultant, author of The Marshall Memo

The Three Key Elements of Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery takes a powerful three-pronged approach to reduce the number of first-graders struggling to read and write. By doing so, Reading Recovery lowers the future cost of educating these challenged learners. 

1. A Powerful Literacy Prevention/Intervention for Children

Reading Recovery is both an early intervention program and an early identification program with two positive outcomes.

Positive outcome #1: After 12 to 20 weeks of daily lessons most children have developed effective literacy processing systems in reading and writing. They no longer require extra help and need only a good classroom literacy program to continue growing.

Positive outcome #2: A small number of children receive a recommendation for specialized longer-term help. In this way, Reading Recovery serves as an early referral program.

2. Training and Professional Development for Educators

Reading Recovery educators improve their skills by participating in a year-long, graduate-level study followed by extensive professional development opportunities where they explore proven, research-based theory and procedures.

There are three levels of Reading Recovery training: teachers, teacher leaders and trainers of teacher leaders.

3. A Long-Range Plan for School-wide Implementation

Educators in Reading Recovery schools work to ensure that all children who need the program receive it. A school has reached full coverage when it has enough Reading Recovery teachers to help all children identified as needing the program. This generally means 20 percent or more of the first-grade cohort.