Implement Reading Recovery in your District
Become a Reading Recovery Teacher
Services offered at ISU Training Site
The initial Reading Recovery training is a yearlong commitment in which teachers enroll in two graduate-level courses, one in the fall and one in the spring, taught by a certified Reading Recovery teacher leader at Illinois State University. The six hours of graduate credit can be applied to a Master's Degree in Reading at ISU, as electives. The Reading Recovery training course begins in mid-August with a full week of assessment training. During this week, teachers learn how to administer the Observation Survey assessments, which will guide them in the selection of Reading Recovery children. Following the week of assessment training, the class then meets on Wednesdays from 2:00–5:00 p.m., through mid-May.
Weekly training sessions involve extensive use of a one-way mirror, allowing teachers to observe one another working with children. Teachers are able to observe and talk, almost in a think-aloud process. They describe reading behavior, analyze teaching decisions, articulate questions, and reflect upon their own teaching. The experience challenges assumptions about children's learning and strengthens theoretical understandings of the reading and writing processes.
During the training year, no service is lost to children. Teachers immediately begin working daily with four Reading Recovery students, putting their new understandings into action. This work comprises the field component of the training. It also comprises half of each school day; teaching responsibilities for the remaining portion of the day are determined by the district.
The teacher will also receive four to six school visits by the teacher leader during the training year. The teacher leader will observe the teacher as he/she works with Reading Recovery children, supporting the teacher and moving him/her forward in their learning.
Reading Recovery teachers are able to call or email their teacher leader any time, about anything. Teachers often send audio tapes of lessons to their teacher leader, just to have another opinion. Running Records are often faxed to a teacher leader for guidance and support in teaching the hardest-to-teach children.
Professional development is an essential part of Reading Recovery. After the initial training, teachers are provided ongoing professional development to keep their knowledge base dynamic and current and to further develop their expertise in teaching the hardest-to-teach children. This continuing education ensures the quality of lessons for each child and promotes success across all schools that implement Reading Recovery.
The ongoing professional development is called Continuing Contact. There are typically six sessions per year, which are theoretical in nature, helping teachers to better understand why they do what they do. Similar to the training year, a one-way mirror is utilized, allowing teachers to observe one another working with children. Each year, teachers may receive two hours of graduate credit or 25 CPDUs, after successful completion of six Continuting Contact sessions. Reading Recovery teachers will also receive one or two visits per year from the Reading Recovery teacher leader.
This video produced by the Reading Recovery Council of North America discusses the training and support that Reading Recovery teachers receive. View the Professional Development in Reading Recovery video.