The impact of Reading Recovery three years after intervention.

Reading Recovery is part of the Every Child a Reader strategy to enable children to
make a good start in reading. Reading Recovery is well known to have impressive
effects in the shorter term, but less is known about its long-term effectiveness. The
present study followed up at the end of Year 4: 120 comparison children, 73 children
who had received Reading Recovery three years earlier, and 48 children in Reading
Recovery schools who had not received Reading Recovery. The children who had
received Reading Recovery were achieving an average National Curriculum level of 3b
in reading, which indicates being on track for Level 4 at the end of KS2. The comparison
children were on average Level 2a in reading, significantly below the Reading Recovery
children. Reading Recovery children were significantly less likely than comparison
children to be identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN Code of Practice,
2008) at the end of Year 3. Case studies give a flavour of the children’s experience of
school at the end of Year 4. Early intervention was greatly appreciated by the children
and parents of the Reading Recovery schools, and the lack of early intervention and its
negative consequences were remarked upon by those not in Reading Recovery
schools