What happens in a Reading Recovery lesson?

The 30-minute daily Reading Recovery lesson includes activities in text reading and text writing.

 
Reading Recovery teacher and student

There are six core activities involved in each lesson.

 
1. Text reading: Reading familiar books

The reading of two or more familiar books in a phrased and fluent manner at the beginning of the lesson provides opportunities for the student to practise good reading behaviours.

 
Student reads
2. Text reading: Taking a running record of yesterday's new book

The teacher takes a running record (a shorthand record of the student’s reading) of the new book from the previous lesson.

 
Teacher takes a record of the students reading

First the student reads the text without help. Then the teacher teaches the student.

 

The most powerful teaching points from the book are selected to obtain the quickest progress possible.

 
3. Letter identification and word making and breaking

After the running record a short time is spent using magnetic letters to help the student extend his or her letter knowledge and understandings of how words work.

 
Student arranges magnetic letters
4. Text writing: Writing a story

The student writes one or two sentences about a known book or a personal experience.

 
Student writes a story

The teacher supports the writing process while teaching for flexible writing strategies that will encourage progress towards independence.

 
5. Text reading: Rearranging the cut-up story

After the story is written, the teacher writes it on a strip of cardboard.

 
Student arranges a cut up story

It is then cut up so that the student can search and check for information to help in reassembling the story.

 
6. Text reading: Reading a new book

The teacher introduces a new book providing information about the content, how the language is structured in that particular book and perhaps some help with words to assist the student to successfully use his or her reading strategies.

 
Teacher listens to student read

The student, while faced with some challenges, reads the book with appropriate support from the teacher. A culmination of the lesson’s reading and writing work is linked to the new book.