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Reading Recovery

Program that Works
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Summary

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program for struggling first grade readers. This program was developed in New Zealand and was imported to the U.S. in the 1980s. This program has high respect among teachers, teacher leaders, and researchers as well as a rich research base. Staff development is very intense so while it is economical in terms of materials, it is takes a long term commitment on the part of a school system to take this project on. Reading Recovery-trained teachers give struggling students a one-on-one lesson in reading 30 minutes a day for 12-20 weeks.

Target Population

First-grade teachers working with the lowest achieving (bottom 20 percent) of first grade students.

Goal(s)

Improve literacy skills and reduce the number of first-grade students having difficulty reading.

Program Highlights

  • Reading Recovery has served more than 1.5 million first grade students in the U.S. and around the world since it was launched in New Zealand.
  • Approximately 75 percent of at-risk first grade students who completed the 12-20 week Reading Recovery program reached reading and writing expectations.
  • Reading Recovery students consistently outperformed comparison students on national reading tests.

The Facts

1986
More than 1.5 million first-grade students in 48 states have been served since the program began
$3,750 per pupil annually
National

Partners

Higher Education

  • The Ohio State University

Business

Non-Profit / Philanthropy

Government


Evidence of Impact

At-risk first graders participating in the Reading Recovery program outperform their peers on standardized reading tests and standardized literacy tasks.

Comparing Instructional Models for the Literacy Education of High Risk First-Graders: Researchers from the Ohio State University and University of Chicago found that Reading Recovery first grade students in 10 Ohio districts consistently outperformed students who were participating in three other kinds of reading interventions. Measures of performance included reading tests such as the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test and Woodcock Reading Mastery.

Literacy Learning of At-Risk First-Grade Students in the Reading Recovery Early Intervention: A 2005 study conducted by Robert M. Schwartz of Oakland University found that first-grade students who were randomly assigned to the Reading Recovery intervention in the first half of their school year performed significantly better on literacy measures than at-risk students who had not yet received Reading Recovery.

Of the more than 78 studies on the program, at least five studies and two research syntheses met research standards. Much of the research was conducted by researchers affiliated with Reading Recovery.
Reading Recovery has reached more than 1.5 million at-risk first grade students in 48 states since the program was first developed in New Zealand in the 1970s.

http://www.readingrecovery.org/research/effectiveness/index.asp

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/beginning_reading/reading_recovery/

Contact Information

Reading Recovery Council of North America
500 West Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 250
Worthington,  OH  43085-5218
(614) 310-READ
http://www.readingrecovery.org/
application/pdf iconReadingRecovery.pdf

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