Reading Recovery is an effective early invention programme designed to reduce dramatically  the number of children with literacy difficulties in school. 

It is a second chance, prevention programme delivered at the end of the first year of school.  Young low achieving children have daily individual teaching which brings them to average levels of achievement for their classes in a short time.  It is designed for children who are the lowest readers and writers in ordinary classroom without exception, and is supplementary to their classroom instruction.

Reading Recovery is not a classroom programme for teaching  beginning reading and is not used by teachers for  teaching class groups.  Reading Recovery in a school means  that in terms of literacy·                 

• Every child can have access to the best possible learning opportunities.

•  Every child can be helped to reach their full potential.

• Equity can be achieved and maintained. 

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The programme is different for every child. The child’s competencies are the starting point and the programme moves from these competencies towards what he or she needs to learn, responding always to what the child is trying to do

The teaching is individual in a one-to-one setting. Each child has an intensive programme of daily instruction which is additional to the regular class literacy activities.

The focus is on comprehending messages [in reading] and constructing messages [in writing] so highest priority is given to children  reading many books and writing many different strategies involved in being a reader and writer.

At Pekerau  we have four students on the programme at any one time.

When children have made sufficient progress and are judged to be able to cope well with reading and writing in their classroom their Reading Recovery programme is discontinued.

To be discontinued children must be able  to work successfully in their classroom with an average group, and have ways of increasing their own control of reading and writing so they can continue to learn.

Sylvia Meredith