Any school or school district interested in implementing Reading Recovery must first develop an implementation plan with the help of a Reading Recovery teacher leader, and/or site coordinator. Teacher candidates and district administrators are then asked to print, complete, and mail the following application to the nearest training site. The application includes a description of recommended teacher qualifications as well as district and teacher commitments
District Commitment
Reading Recovery requires commitment from a school district to implement
the intervention and sustain it as part of its comprehensive literacy plan.
As the early intervention component in this plan, it is a system intervention,
not an isolated stand-alone program. One of the benefits of Reading Recovery
is the professional development that creates literacy experts who share
their knowledge with other staff and students. Reading Recovery teachers
typically teach four Reading Recovery students per day, equivalent to one-half
day of service. During the remainder of the day, teachers are usually assigned
to other duties such as classroom teaching or small-group instruction. Most
Reading Recovery teachers serve as Title I or Reading teachers. Other roles
include teachers of special education, ESL, and staff development.
Intensive Initial Training
The initial Training for Reading Recovery teachers includes attendance in
a yearlong graduate-level course while working individually with four children
daily in their school. Teacher leaders provide the training at nearby sites
and also visit the teachers in training several times throughout the course
of the year in their schools. In most of the weekly sessions, Reading Recovery
teachers-in-training observe two individual lessons taught behind a one-way
mirror. Each teacher works with a current student while peers observe the
lesson on the other side of the mirror. The teacher leader guides the observing
teachers as they engage in intense discussion of their observations. After
the lessons, all participants meet to reflect on and analyze the lesson.
This discussion helps teachers make critical connections between theory
and practice.
Funding Sources for Initial Training
In the state of New Jersey, Demonstrably Effective Program Aid, Early Childhood
Program Aid, Desegregation Aid, as well as Title I and Title V funds can
be used for Reading Recovery teacher training, as well as teacher salaries
in some cases. Pending Congressional approval, up to 15% of IDEA funds that
come into a district can be used for pre-referral intervention services,
such as Reading Recovery.
Continuing Education
After the initial training year, Reading Recovery teachers continue learning
through continuing contact sessions. Each teacher attends a minimum of six
continuing contact sessions at the training sites conducted by teacher leaders.
At least four of these sessions include observing two lessons behind a one-way
mirror.
Download An Application
in .PDF format
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