COVID-19   Law    Advocacy    Topics A-Z     Training    Wrights' Blog   Wrightslaw Store    Yellow Pages for Kids 
Home > Reading > Reading Recovery for First Grade Children with Reading Difficulties by Dr. Joseph Torgesen by Dr. Joseph Torgesen

The Special Ed Advocate newsletter
It's Unique ... and Free!

Enter your email address below:

2025
Training Programs


Mar. 18-19 - VA via ZOOM

Sept. 18 - MD via ZOOM

Full Schedule


Wrightslaw

Home
Topics from A-Z
Free Newsletter
Seminars & Training
Yellow Pages for Kids
Press Room
FAQs
Sitemap

Books & Training

Wrightslaw Storesecure store lock
  Advocate's Store
  Student Bookstore
  Exam Copies
Training Center
Mail & Fax Orders

Advocacy Library

Articles
Cool Tools
Doing Your Homework
Ask the Advocate
FAQs
Newsletter Archives
Short Course Series
Success Stories
Tips

Law Library

Articles
Caselaw
Fed Court Complaints
IDEA 2004
McKinney-Vento Homeless
FERPA
Section 504

Topics

Advocacy
ADD/ADHD
Allergy/Anaphylaxis
American Indian
Assistive Technology
Autism Spectrum
Behavior & Discipline
Bullying
College/Continuing Ed
Damages
Discrimination
Due Process
Early Intervention
  (Part C)

Eligibility
Episodic, such as
   Allergies, Asthma,
   Diabetes, Epilepsy, etc

ESSA
ESY
Evaluations
FAPE
Flyers
Future Planning
Harassment
High-Stakes Tests
Homeless Children
IDEA 2004
Identification & Child Find
IEPs
Juvenile Justice
Law School & Clinics
Letters & Paper Trails
LRE / Inclusion
Mediation
Military / DOD
Parental Protections
PE and Adapted PE
Privacy & Records
Procedural Safeguards
Progress Monitoring
Reading
Related Services
Research Based
  Instruction

Response to Intervention
  (RTI)

Restraints / Seclusion
   and Abuse

Retention
Retaliation
School Report Cards
Section 504
Self-Advocacy
Teachers & Principals
Transition
Twice Exceptional (2e)
VA Special Education

Resources & Directories

Advocate's Bookstore
Advocacy Resources
Directories
  Disability Groups
  International
  State DOEs
  State PTIs
Free Flyers
Free Pubs
Free Newsletters
Legal & Advocacy
Glossaries
   Legal Terms
   Assessment Terms
Best School Websites

 

Reading Recovery for First Grade Children with Reading Difficulties
by Dr. Joseph Torgesen

Print this page

Wrightslaw Note: Dr. Joseph Torgesen is one of the most highly respected reading researchers in the world. The text in this article is from a longer interview of Dr. Torgesen on LD Talk where Dr. Torgesen answers questions about effective ways to teach children to read, how parents can measure a child's progress objectively, and much more. We urge you to read the complete interview on LD Talk.

NOTE: The www.ldtalk.org website containing the transcript is no longer operating. Per a 2007 notation on web.archive.org, "The National Center for Learning Disabilities brings you LDTalk.org, the Internet's only Web site featuring discussions on issues critically important to people with learning disabilities." We have been unable to find the transcript on the www.ncld.org website. If you find the link, please let us know.

"What does independent research show about using Reading Recovery for students who are having difficulty learning to read in first grade?"

Dr. Torgesen replies:

"Independent analyses show that Reading Recovery does not accomplish the goal of preventing reading difficulties in young children as effectively as its own 'in house' research show, nor does has Reading Recovery responded to research that has identified its weaknesses. 

Two of the most important independent research findings are that:

Reading Recovery could be more effective if it provided more explicit and systematic instruction in the alphabetic principle (phonics) (Iverson and Tunmer,1993) and

Small group instruction is just as effective as one-on-one instruction in preventing reading disabilities (Elbaum,Vaughn, Hughes, & Moody, 2000).

In an open letter about Reading Recovery that was signed by many, many independent reading researchers, two respected reading researchers from New Zealand included the following comments: 

"In New Zealand, where Reading Recovery was developed, the programme has been independently examined on two occasions. Both studies found shortcomings. In essence, the programme is failing to meet the claims regarding its objectives and success.

"Senior Reading Recovery administrators have also overtly blocked attempts by graduate students to independently examine aspects of Reading Recovery... 

"Despite strong evidence in New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. that changes are needed to make Reading Recovery more effective, Reading Recovery leaders do not seem willing to incorporate the findings of such research to make the programme more effective.

"There is and has been considerable debate about the efficacy of Reading Recovery in New Zealand; this debate is indicative of an increasing dissatisfaction among researchers and some educators about the nature of the Reading Recovery programme. 

"Finally, the Ministry of Education commissioned a report from the 'Literacy Experts Group', released in 1999.

"Included in this report was a recommendation, unanimously agreed to by experts from the full spectrum of views on reading:

"We recommend that Reading Recovery place greater emphasis on explicit instruction in phonological awareness and the use of spelling-to-sound patterns in recognizing unfamiliar words in text." (emphasis added)

"This recommendation has not been adopted by Reading Recovery."

Related Information

Reading Recovery: What Do School Districts Get for Their Money? A Review of Research by Dr. Melissa Farrall  -
Reading Recovery is an early intervention program that has been acclaimed as an effective means to improve the reading skills of young children. How effective is Reading Recovery? What does the research on Reading Recovery show?

Experts Say Reading Recovery
Is Not Effective, Leaves Too Many Children Behind In an open letter, more than 30 international reading researchers express concerns about the continued use of Reading Recovery. These experts urge policy makers, educational leaders, researchers, and federal research organizations to acknowledge the weaknesses of Reading Recovery and conclude, "Reading Recovery leaves too many students behind."

Reading Recovery: Distinguishing Myth from Reality by William Tunmer and James Chapman -
Two reading experts describe serious shortcomings and needed improvements in the Reading Recovery program, and conclude: "Until such changes are made to Reading Recovery, we strongly recommend that schools do not adopt the program.

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon The Special Ed Advocate: It's Free!