Reading Recovery Essay -- Research Papers Learning Education Papers

Reading Recovery The ability to read is vital to a child's success in school and throughout life. However, reading achievement in the U. S. is low. In fact, according to the most recent national assessment of educational progress, 44% of U.S. students read below the "basic" level, meaning they exhibit little or no mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary to perform work at grade level (Collins, 79). These statistics have driven school districts, parents, and students scrambling to find something to turn the tide of reading failure. They are searching for a solution that will have a lasting impact on a child's reading ability. Many have adopted the Reading Recovery Program as a viable solution to the problem. The issue to be addressed now is; Does this program provide an effective solution to the reading problem that is plaguing students of the US? I was particularly interested in this question because my eight year old daughter, Brooke, successfully completed the Reading Recovery program when she was in first grade. However, despite our efforts, her reading skills stagnated during second grade. By the beginning of third grade her teacher approached me to say something is wrong. The teacher pointed out that if Brooke successfully completed the Reading Recovery Program, then she should not be struggling like she is with reading. This was my catalyst to finding out about the effectiveness of the Reading Recovery Program. I wanted to find out if the program really produced long term results or if it was just a nice bit of one on one attention from a devoted teacher. To fairly analyze these questions, it is essential to take a glimpse into the reading problem that pervades across the US. As stated, ... ...Recovery Program is effective in raising potentially poor readers to grade level. Most of these children are able to maintain an average reading level as they progress through school. This program appears to be a viable solution. Bibliography Clay, Marie M. 1993. Reading Recovery. Reed Publishing Co. Auckland, New Zealand. Collins, James. "How Johnny Should Read." Time Magazine. October 27, 1997 Mc Guinness, Diane. "Why Our Children Can't Read." (photo copy with out the rest of the information). Personal interview: Brown, Wayne. Feb. 18, 1998 Personal interview: McMahan, Taffy. Feb. 20, 1997 Personal interview: Howard, Gwen. Feb. 20, 1997 Office of Research, Consumer Guide. December 1992. Number 3 Masters Program, Curriculum and Instruction. Reading Recovery, Illinois State University. Fax 309-438-8699