We are fortunate to have a wide range of support programmes offered at Grey Lynn.  Reading Recovery is one such programme we have to support student learning.

Reading Recovery is an early literacy intervention that provides one on one teaching for children who have made slow progress learning to read and write in their first year of school. Most New Zealand schools provide this catch-up opportunity. Children's reading and writing is assessed close to their sixth birthday and the lowest scoring children come in to Reading Recovery as soon as a space is available. It is supplementary to classroom instruction.

 The children are identified through the 6 year net/running record. The Reading Recovery teacher, (if necessary, in consultation  with  Monique, our Learning Support Coordinator) and/or other staff will make the final decision of who will be selected for the programme based on the results.

If your child has been selected to be on the programme, the Reading Recovery teacher will communicate with you, and keep you updated about how you can support your child at home.

The Reading Recovery teacher communicates regularly with the classroom teacher of the children involved in the programme, and also keeps the Learning Support Coordinator informed. 

How does it work?  Students take part in a daily individual tutoring programme to enable them to work with confidence and independence in the classroom at a comparative level with their peers. The child is given a 30 minute lesson every day for up to 20 weeks. Reading Recovery is staffed by a teacher who undertakes a specialised training course and who works with a Reading Recovery tutor. 

 What is involved in a lesson? The child reads familiar books. The teacher assesses and provides feedback on a reading assessment task (this is called a running record).  A letter identification task may be given. The child learns how to work with letters to form words. The child writes a story, hearing and recording the sounds. The story, printed on cardboard, is cut up and then assembled by the child. The cut-up story is sent home for reassembling.  After the teacher introduces a new book, the child reads it with the teacher’s support. 

What can I do as a parent to help?  Ensure your child is at school every day to receive the tutoring. Listen to your child read the books he/she brings home. Encourage your child to reassemble the cut-up story. 

 Where can I get further information about Reading Recovery?   The National Reading Recovery Centre is located at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education. Please see their website for further information.

Reading Recovery Tutors at GLS: Melissa Spearman and Otalani Kiata.