Reading Recovery in the News - May 2008

Book fund brings joy to area students
The Exponent - Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
May 12, 2008

When Susan Nierstheimer, an assistant professor in the College of Education, was ill with cancer in 2005, she told her friends and family that she wanted to get books into the hands of children.

Three years after Nierstheimer's death, the Susan Nierstheimer Book Fund continues to fulfill that wish by distributing books to children in Reading Recovery, an early intervention program for first-graders who struggle with reading.

Nierstheimer had done research on Reading Recovery and was passionate about the issue of children's literacy.

"She was just a huge proponent," said Susan Gunderson, a continuing lecturer in the College of Education and a friend of Nierstheimer's. "She felt like every child can learn how to read, that there has to be a way."
 

New programme shown to 'dramatically' improve children's literacy
National Union of Teachers website:
www.teachers.org.uk - United Kingdom
May 12, 2008

Pupils struggling with reading are benefiting from a new scheme that sees them improving their literacy with one-to-one support from specially-trained teachers.

Under the Reading Recovery programme, not only are children catching-up with their peers after a relatively short amount of time, but they are outperforming the national average for their age group within two years, according to research.

Tailored lessons for half-an-hour a day for between 12 and 20 weeks are provided to six-year-olds who have shown literacy problems.

Part of the government's Every Child a Reader programme, the initiative has been hailed a great success.

Worst readers shoot to the top of class after one-to-one tuition
Times Online - United Kingdom
by Alexandra Frean
May 9, 2008

Children who have failed to master the basics of reading by the age of 6 are becoming the best in their class after only a few hours of specialist one-to-one tuition under a programme to be extended to all primary schools in England.

The 30 hours of specialist teaching over 12 weeks helped children who were two years behind their classmates to catch up. Two years later they had overtaken them.

As well as improving progress in reading at four times the normal rate, the government-backed Every Child a Reader programme is also bringing about improvements in writing and motivation.

Jean Gross, director of the programme, said that, contrary to some expectations, the positive effects of the scheme were still felt by children long after the specialist help had ended.

Research: Poorest readers go on to outperform national average
ATL Education News - United Kingdom
May 9, 2008

Young children who started out as the poorest readers in their class can go on to perform better than the national average within two years, according to research by the Institute of Education into the Every Child a Reader project.

The project involves four to five months of one-to-one tuition for about 30 minutes a day by specially trained Reading Recovery teachers.

Some 42 schools in ten inner London boroughs took part in the project. In each class of six-year-olds, the eight poorest readers were selected to follow the special tuition programme and their progress was compared to a group of children of similar ability and backgrounds who received different tuition.

Reading scheme 'improves children's ability'
ATL Education News - United Kingdom
May 9, 2008

A recent study by the Institute of Education has found that a Government-funded reading scheme is helping children outperform national reading standards, it has emerged.

The programme, which involves personalised tuition and tailored reading coaching by specially trained teachers half an hour a day for 12 to 20 weeks, is making significant improvements, the study found.

According to a BBC report, a survey of some 500 children has found that those on the Reading Recovery sheme caught up with their age group and often surpassed the national average within two years.

Getting readers back on track
BBC News - United Kingdom
by Hannah Goff
May 9, 2008

When Johnny – not his real name – was six, he could not say the sounds of the alphabet or read a page of a book.

His Reading Recovery teacher Maggie Morgan says he could do little more than recognise his name in writing.

“He was quite bright, but he must have missed out somewhere along the way,” she said.

Mrs Morgan took him for half an hour a day for around 20 weeks, as part of the Reading Recovery programme backed by the government.

It involves intensive one-to-one support in a calm environment, and lessons are tailored to the pupil's needs.

Pupils' reading scheme 'a success'
The Press Association - United Kingdom
May 9, 2008

Youngsters with poor reading skills are making "striking" progress thanks to a new government initiative, a new report has suggested.

The Reading Recovery programme is aimed at young pupils who find particular difficulty with reading tasks. The programme provides the children with intensive one-on-one tailored reading lessons with specialist reading teachers.

A study revealed that the programme was enabling young problem readers to catch-up with their peers.

The report by the Institute of Education and commissioned by KPMG, also suggested that the pupils who benefited from the Reading Recovery programme went on to out-perform the national average within two years.

Catch-up reading scheme 'success'
BBC News - United Kingdom
by Hannah Goff
May 8, 2008

Struggling young readers make lasting progress on a scheme that offers one-to-one support, a study suggests.

The government-funded Reading Recovery gives six-year-olds tailored coaching from specially-trained teachers for half an hour a day for 12 to 20 weeks.

A study of 500 pupils found those on the programme not only caught up with their age-group but were out-performing the national average within two years.

Government to roll out reading programme in schools
EducationGuardian.co.uk - United Kingdom
by Anthea Lipsett
Friday May 9, 2008

Children who struggle to read at age six can catch up and overtake their peers with the help of specialist one-to-one tuition, according to a new research published today.

The research into the progress of 500 children shows the lowest-achieving readers can go on to outperform the national average within two years after daily individual half hour sessions for up to five months with Reading Recovery (RR) teachers while the children are aged six.

Fund provides books for first-graders
Journal and Courier - Lafayette, IN
May 7, 2008

About 118 Greater Lafayette first-graders are making strides in their reading, thanks to a gift made possible by a former Purdue professor.

On Monday and Tuesday, free books were delivered to students at Oakland, Wea Ridge, Cumberland and Klondike elementary schools. Books will also be distributed to students in the Twin Lakes School Corp. next Monday.

The students are involved in the Reading Recovery program, which offers early interventions to help children who are struggling to learn to read or write.

Each kid received four books -- one easy read, two to challenge them and one to read with their family.

The books were purchased through the Susan Nierstheimer Book Fund, which is named in honor of former literacy and language assistant professor Susan Nierstheimer, who died in 2005.

Focus on Sheboygan Schools: School focuses on improving students' reading, writing skills
Sheboygan Press - Sheboygan, WI
By Harlan Weber
May 2, 2008

The Washington School for Comprehensive Literacy is located at 1238 Geele Ave. in Sheboygan. Washington School for Comprehensive Literacy currently has an enrollment of 381 students in grades K-5.

The comprehensive literacy model employs well-trained literacy coaches who demonstrate and model for classroom teachers research-based teaching methods and practice in the essential components of a balanced literacy program, which include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing process. Classroom teachers then practice these same methods under the literacy coach's guidance.

Washington is the first school in Wisconsin using this model. Washington's top priority is assuring that all children become strong readers. Teachers intervene when a child first shows signs of trouble with reading progress. Washington has three teachers who are trained in the Reading Recovery Program to address reading problems early and intensively.