Reading Recovery?

Reading Recovery has a very bad track record, and the only people to say too much good about it are people from RR doing their own research. What does work is a sequential and systematic phonemic program (depends on the severity of the kids problem how multisensory and explicit it needs to be). It sounds like you have been doing the right thing. I would NOT let her go into the program. You could ask what they are doing, but I think your reasoning is correct. You instincts about guessing are dead on. Students who learn to guess become older kids who learn to guess, and the older they are the more intractable the behavior (learned skill!) becomes. Some programs do *teach* guessing, and it sounds like RR is one.

It sounds like you should continue with her and not allow her to be in that program. Without the RR you might be able to get somewhere with her. If not, there are people here that know about effective methods. Basically, less intensive methods include various sorts of systematic phonics programs like Phonographix (and various outgrowths of it— like Abeeceedaran sp??), Explode the Code, Jolly Phonics (though I think she is a bit old), etc.

More intensive methods include: many Orton based programs (too numerous to name right off) and Lindamood Bells programs.

BTW, “all children learn differently” is often an excuse you hear from the backers of RR. It is true to a certain extent. But let’s just say this. All kids must learn the code of English to read it. Some kids are able to deduce it or whatever themselves. To say, well “all kids learn differently ” and Johnny learned to read via RR just means that Johnny was able to deduce the code himself. Not that RR actually taught it to him. (For some kids a little extra attention may be sufficient for some kids to deduce the code.) Whatever a child needs to learn the code will be what gets him/her to read. Some kids may need more intensive and explicit instruction to get there. But when I see this by whole language and RR supporters (it sounds like something they might have said to you— I’m not jumping on you), I think they are justifying failure by saying well “all kids learn differently”.

—des

Agree totally with des, especially “all children learn differently” being used as an excuse and cover-up.

Also watch out for “Oh yes, we teach phonics all the time” — this may often mean “we teach the kid to look at the first letter and then guess the rest.”

If you would like my teaching reading outlines, now up to a book in progress, email me at [email protected]

Yes re: phonics and the first letter (or first part of the word). I have perhaps seen hundreds of examples of this in my first few weeks teaching HSers with reading problems. They learn to guess and then they are reinforced for guessing.

—des

Reading Recovery is also really liked by many of the teachers using it; I’d infer that it sure looks like the kiddos are making progress, and feeling good about their successes.
It may well be just what students need if they’re coming from home settings where reading & literacy aren’t priorities, and have to fill in some general background and their “schema.”
If a student is in that 20% who simply need significantly more structure, instruction and practice making the sound-symbol connection, it can be worse than useless; you get *lots* of practice, 1:1, with positive reinforcement… of strategies that simply don’t hold up in the long run. But hey, the lovely well-intentioned teacher doesn’t need to see the long run.
This other program - if it’s got other benefits like a good social setting then for that it could be fun… but for improving the reading - I wouldn’t expect that of it. I *would* ask the actual teacher to show you what s/he plans to do - software programs have names, right? Some are better than others; some are actually pretty good :-)

Thank you so much for your replies. I attempted to talk to the Connections teacher yesterday after the first class but, wasn’t able. I went up to the school about 15 minutes early to see if I could just listen in on the class and all the kids were outside playing on the playground. I asked my daughter what they did and she said that they gave all the kids a bunch of letters and had them try to make words. Then they had a snack and went outside to play.

So, I suppose I could let her continue the Connections Program for the social setting if they aren’t using the guessing method. It is very hard for me to work with her on this because they have installed that guessing method. I don’t want her to go through this program if they are just going to be un-doing what little progress we have made.

I shouldn’t have said it wouldn’t work for anybody. The research hasn’t been so great, but I am sure there are kids for whom it isn’t a waste of time. But I was concerned with what you describe in terms of increasing guessing. This is just all around bad. Esp if you are really working with her. I’d opt out of it and go for the socialization in more appropriate settings (recess, lunchroom, school projects, scouts, etc.).

—des

Here is a link to a thorough independent study of Reading Recovery: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~bgrossen/rr.htm

In my experience as a remedial reading tutor, the hardest problem to overcome is an engrained guessing habit. If at all possible, I would advise you to find a good reading tutor who will work with your daughter one-on-one. This could help to discourage that guessing habit that is such a handicap later.

Nancy

Great article linked by Nancy above. Do read it!

Nancy,
Do you know what year that was published? I couldn’t find any information (maybe I overlooked it) as they mentioned an article in press and I was wondering when this was.