Implement Reading Recovery in your District
Become a Reading Recovery Teacher
Services offered at ISU Training Site
Reading Recovery was developed by Marie M. Clay, a New Zealand educator and researcher. Clay conducted observational research in the mid-1960s that enabled her to design ways to detect children's early reading difficulties. In the mid-1970s, she developed Reading Recovery procedures with teachers and tested the program in New Zealand.
Since its success in New Zealand, Reading Recovery has been implemented in Australia, the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Jersey, and Denmark. It has worked in educational systems that are large and small, church and secular, public and private, small and remote, or large and urban. No matter the child, no matter the school or the country, Reading Recovery has proven itself successful for over 30 years.
In the United States, more than 1.6 million first graders have been served since the establishment of Reading Recovery in 1984. The Reading Recovery Council of North America, a not-for-profit association of Reading Recovery professionals, advocates, and partners, provides a network of opportunities for leadership and professional development.
Since 1990 Illinois State University has been an official Reading Recovery Teacher Training Site. Each year, the site supports the implementation of Reading Recovery in 30–40 Central Illinois school districts. Since the site was established at the University, over 7,000 first-grade children have received Reading Recovery services. The program is implemented in collaboration with National-Louis University, the Illinois State Board of Education, participating Illinois school districts, and the Center for Reading and Literacy within the College of Education. Read the ISU Reading Recovery Training Site brochure (pdf).
Reading Recovery is a trademarked program (pdf) to ensure the integrity of implementation, as well as training. Educators invest in Reading Recovery knowing that they will get a high quality program with ongoing support systems for effective implementation. The trademark for Reading Recovery® in the United States belongs to The Ohio State University.