READING RECOVERY

Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery

Introduction

In the often contentious world of beginning reading instruction? marked by the sharply differing opinions of advocates of intensive phonics instruction and those who support the whole language approach? Reading Recovery (r) appears to be fairly non-controversial. Combining extensive teacher education with an emphasis on the development of phonological awareness and the use of contextual information to assist reading? Reading Recovery seems to offer the lowest-achieving first-grade children an effective method of reading and writing instruction. Reading Recovery continues to generate interest among educators? parents? and administrators. Journal articles? conference papers? books? research reports on Reading Recovery continue to be added to the ERIC database. Unofficially? Reading Recovery is the topic on which this Clearinghouse's User Services specialists currently receive the most requests for information. Earlier responses by this Clearinghouse to this continued interest in Reading Recovery include two annotated bibliographies (Sensenbaugh? 1994; Dinner? 1993).

Introduced into the United States from New Zealand in the mid 1980s? Reading Recovery projects have been implemented in nearly every state. In addition? Reading Recovery is being implemented in Australia? Canada? and England. Reading Recovery is a supplementary education program that claims to offer the lowest-achieving first-grade children an effective method of English language reading and writing instruction.

The program was developed in the 1970s by New Zealand educator Dr. Marie Clay. After lengthy observations of successful early readers Dr. Clay defined reading as a message-getting? problem-solving activity? and writing as a message-sending? problem-solving activity. Dr. Clay suggested that both activities involved linking invisible patterns of oral language with visible symbols. (Clay? 2005)

In 1984 Dr. Gay Su Pinnell and Dr. Charlotte Huck of Ohio State University introduced the method to the United States. "Reading Recovery" is a registered trademark of Ohio State University in the U.S. Reading Recovery sites operated in eight Canadian provinces and one territory? 48 U.S. States? and the District of Columbia. Approximately 60?000 North American children were served by Reading Recovery educators during the 1993-94 school year. In California alone? more than 500 school districts served approximately 5000 children. (Swartz & Klein? 1996) The program is also implemented in Canada? and England. Although the Reading Recovery Council of North America claims Australia as one of several places where its program is in place? Queensland? Australia has dropped use of Reading Recovery based on data revealing that the gains children make do not last.

“British government has given £5 million towards a three-year pilot of Every Child a Reader? a scheme that uses Reading Recovery as part of its approach. However? Australian state funding of the progamme is gradually being withdrawn because offices say improvements in pupils are temporary. Literacy expert Kevin Wheldall? director of the Macquarie University Special Education Centre? said: 'The logic of employing Reading Recovery as a solution for pupils who have struggled to learn to read following phonics instruction is almost wilfully perverse - a triumph of hope over experience. These are precisely the children for whom Reading Recovery works least ...