Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology

Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program developed by New Zealand educator Maire Clay. Reading Recovery functions as a safety net to assist first graders to overcome their difficulty with reading and writing. The identification and the implementation of the Reading Recovery program to these lowest achieving children is an intensive effective way to reduce failure. Thus, Reading Recovery becomes a productive investment of resources.

In a ten-year study from 1989-1999 done by New York University School of Education, it has been documented that four out of five children who have received Reading Recovery intervention have become successful readers and writers. This high percentage of successfully discontinued children is indicative of a remarkable and sustained success for schools that invest in Reading Recovery for their lowest performing first graders.

The goal for children who participate in the Reading Recovery program is to develop effective reading and writing strategies, so that they are able to catch up with their peers in a relatively short time. When children reach this goal and are ‘discontinued’ from the program, they continue to make progress on their own at the average/above average reading level of their classmates.

Reading Recovery Districts for the 2007-2008 school year.

Bellmore	Bethpage
East Meadow	Glen Cove
Great Neck	Lynbrook
Malverne	Oceanside
Mineola	Plainview-Old Bethpage
Port Washington	Roosevelt
Seaford	Uniondale