Abstract
Reading Recovery is an intensive, one-to-one intervention for children experiencing reading difficulties after one year of primary school. It aims to intervene before “dysfunctional strategies” and feelings of failure take firm hold in young learners. The programme consists of daily half-hour lessons taught by a teacher trained to diagnose and support a problem-solving approach to reading texts. Lessons are planned so that the learner, no matter how inexperienced with print, is enabled to “act like a reader and writer”. Marie Clay, the founder of Reading Recovery, devised the programme on the basis of intensive work with both fluent and poor readers more than twenty years ago in New Zealand. Many years later Clay and Cazden (1990) analysed the programme from a Vygotskian viewpoint and pointed out aspects which embody Vygotskian principles, especially the notion of “scaffolding”. This paper addresses two questions: (l) which features of Reading Recovery embody Vygotskian notions? and (2) how effective is Reading Recovery at improving literacy skills and transforming children into independent problem solvers in literacy? A large national evaluation study in the U.K. showed that Reading Recovery increased reading attainment and that the gains were still apparent more than one year after the intervention. A small scale observation study demonstrated the “scaffolding” by which Reading Recovery teachers encouraged children to greater independence in reading and writing over the course of the programme. The paper ends by suggesting that future research should address the socio-cultural context of Reading Recovery instead of limiting its focus to narrow test outcomes or explicit teaching strategies aimed at skill enhancement.
Résumé
Le programme “Reading Recovery” consiste en interventions individualisées auprès d’enfants présentant des difficultés de lecture après un an d’école primaire. Il s’agit d’intervenir avant que des “stratégies non fonctionnelles” et le sentiment d’échec ne s’enracinent chez le jeune apprenti lecteur. Le programme consiste en leçons quotidiennes d’une demi-heure assurées par des enseignants formés à l’approche “résolution de problèmes” en matière de lecture des textes. Les leçons sont conçues de sorte que l’enfant, en dépit de son inexpérience de la chose écite, se comporte comme un lecteur et un scripteur. Mary Clay, créatrice de Reading Recovery, a fondé son programme sur le travail intensif auprès de lecteurs compétents et de lecteurs en difficultés, il y a plus de 20 ans en Nouvelle Zélande. Plusieurs années après Clay et Cazden (1990) ont souligné la présence dans ce programme de principes conformes à la théorie de Vygotski, en particulier le principe d’étayage. Dans cet article deux questions sont abordées: (1) Quelles caractéristiques de Reading Recovery correspondent aux concepts vygotskiens? et (2) Dans quelle mesure Reading Recovery permet-il d’améliorer les capacités de lecture-écriture et de faire des enfants des “problem-solvers” indépendants et habiles dans ce domaine? Une évaluation nationale en Grand Bretagne a montré que Reading Recovery améliore la réussite en lecture et que les gains d’ acquisition sont encore manifestes un an après l’intervention. Une observation à plus petite échelle a permis de montrer le rôle de l’étayage dans l’incitation à une plus grande autonomie de lecture et d’écriture tout au long du programme.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bruce, D.J. (1964). The Analysis of Word Sounds.British Journal of Educational Psychology, 34, 158–170.
Clay, M.M. (1985).The Early Detection of Reading Difficulties: A Diagnostic Survey with Recovery Procedures (3rd edition). Heinemann: Auckland, NZ.
Clay, M.M. (1991).Becoming Literate. Heinnemann: Auckland, NZ.
Clay, M.M. (1993).Reading Recovery: A Guidebook for Teachers in Training. Heinemann: Auckland, NZ.
Clay, M.M., & Cazden, C.B. (1990). A Vygotskian interpretation of Reading Recovery. In L. Moll (Ed.),Vygotsky and Education (pp. 206–222). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Daniels, H. (1996).An Introduction to Vygotsky. London: Routledge.
Elliot, C.D., Murray, D.J. & Pearson, L.S. (1983).British Ability Scales. London: NFER, Nelson.
Glynn, T., Crooks, T., Bethune, N., Ballard, K. & Smith J. (1989).Reading Recovery in Context. New Zealand: Dept. of Education, Wellington.
Hobsbaum, A., Peters, S. & Sylva, K. (1996). Scaffolding in Reading Recovery.Oxford Review of Education, 22, 17–35.
Kirtley, C., Bryant, P., McLean, M. & Bradley, L. (1989). Rhyme, Rime and the Onset of reading.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 48, 224–245.
Lyons, C.A., Pinnell, G.S. & DeFord, D.E. (1993).Partners in Learning: Teachers and Children in Reading Recovery. New York: Teachers College Press.
Mortimore, P., Sammons, P., Stoll, L., Lewis, D. & Ecob, R. (1988).School Matters. Somerset: Open Books.
Neale, M.D. (1988).Neale Analysis of Reading Ability (revised), Windsor: NFER-Nelson.
Peters, S. (1996). Observational study of Reading Recovery lessons (unpublished manuscript). Institute of Education, University of London.
Pinnell, G.S., Lyons, C.A., DeFord, D.E., Bryk, A.S. & Seltzer, M. (1994). Comparing instructional models for the literacy education of high-risk first graders.Reading Research Quarterly, 20, 9–39.
Pollard, A. (1993). Learning in primary schools. In H. Daniels (Ed.),Charting the Agenda: Educational Activity After Vygotsky (pp. 171–189). London: Routledge.
Rowe, K.J. (1991).Students, parents, teachers and schools make a difference: A summary report of major findings from the “100 Schools Project” literacy programmes study. State Board of Education and School Programmes Division, Ministry of Education and Training, Victoria, Australia.
Snowling, M. (unpublished). Non-word reading test (unpublished). Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York.
Sylva, K. & Hurry, J. (1995). The Effectiveness of Reading Recovery and Phonological Training for Children with Reading Problems: Full Report. Report prepared for the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. London: SCAA.
Tizard, B., Blatchford, P., Burke, J., Farquhar, C., & Plewis, I. (1988).Young Children at School in the Inner City. Hove and London: Lawrence Erlbaum Assocs.,
Wertsch, J.V. (1994). The Primary of mediated action in sociocultural studies.Mind, Culture and Activity, 1, 202–208.
Wood, D., Bruner, J.S. & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem-solving.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 89–100.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The evaluation of Reading Recovery was funded by the U.K. School Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sylva, K., Hurry, J. & Peters, S. Why is reading recovery successful? A Vygotskian critique of an early reading intervention. Eur J Psychol Educ 12, 373–384 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172799
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172799