What is Reading Recovery?

What is Reading Recovery?

  • Reading Recovery is an early intervention program for first grade students.
  • It is a supplemental reading program that does not take the place of reading instruction in the classroom.
  • Specially trained Reading Recovery teachers meet with students individually for thirty minutes daily.


Students in the Reading Recovery® program are taught to:

  • Use strategies that will help them become better readers and writers.
  • Use the meaning of the story and structure of language (or grammar).
  • Use the sounds to decode difficult words.
  • Learn how to "learn words" to become problem-solvers.

Reading Recovery students are in the program for an average of 16-20 weeks:

  • When they make the necessary progress as determined by the classroom teacher, the Reading Recovery teacher and the Reading Recovery teacher leader, they are discontinued from the program.
  • Reading Recovery students are expected to continue to make progress in the classroom as an average first grader.

Essential components of a successful program:

  • Student is in school every day!
  • Parent listens to student read at home!
  • Close collaboration between parent, classroom teacher and Reading Recovery teacher.

Lesson Components:

  • Familiar re-reads
  • Running Record on Book from previous day
  • Letter work/ Word Work
  • Generating and Composing a Story (Writing)
  • Cut-up sentence
  • New Book