Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is a proven early literacy intervention for 1st graders.

Developed by renowned New Zealand scholar and researcher Marie Clay, Reading Recovery is a short-term, school-based literacy intervention for first-grade students who have difficulty learning to read and write. 

In Reading Recovery, specially trained teachers work with students individually for 30-minute lessons each school day for 12 to 20 weeks. Reading Recovery is grounded in the five essential components of reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. 

If you’d like to train a Reading Recovery teacher or set up a new Reading Recovery teacher training site in your area, our Center team would like to partner with you and provide our ongoing support. 

Reading Recovery Works

How Does It Work?

The key to Reading Recovery’s success is in a layered approach to professional development that is intensive and ongoing. Reading Recovery teacher training is transformative, allowing teachers to engage in real, continuous learning and improvement within a supportive context facilitated by a specially trained teacher leader. Teacher leaders are, in turn, supported by university trainers who specialize in Reading Recovery. University trainers across the country work together to ensure that the model is as effective as possible for all learners.

Learn more about Reading Recovery Council of North America here >

Reading Recovery Teacher Leader Training at Lesley University

Lesley University provides graduate-level training for Reading Recovery Teachers and Teacher Leaders. We train Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders, who in turn train and support Reading Recovery teachers at regional training sites.

How Do I Bring Reading Recovery to My School or District?

Lesley University is a University Training Center for Reading Recovery. We train Teacher Leaders, who in turn, train and support Reading Recovery teachers in schools. 

Some considerations for bringing Reading Recovery to your school or district include having access to a regional Reading Recovery training site; a commitment to implementing as a first grade literacy intervention; and available staffing for a half time Reading Recovery teacher. Contact the regional training site nearest you for more information. A list of regional training sites is provided below.

Reading Recovery Sites That We Currently Support: 

Connecticut

Farmington Public Schools
Erin Nock, Teacher Leader
Kimberly Wynne, Site Coordinator
860.573.0167

Massachusetts

Cambridge Public Schools
Maureen Bobbin and Karen Tlili, Teacher Leaders
Mary Grassi, Site Coordinator
617.349.6562 or 617.349.6600

Cape Cod Training Site
Carolynne Beless, Teacher Leader
Sherry Santini, Site Coordinator
508.280.2491

Collaborative for Educational Services
Laurel Dickey, Teacher Leader
Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse, Site Coordinator
413.586.4900

New Jersey

Flemington-Raritan School District
Joe Kassick, Teacher Leader
Michelle Cook, Site Coordinator
908.284.7660 or 908.284.7567

Evesham Township School District
Cynthia LaSalvia, Teacher Leader
Mindy Kaufer, Site Coordinator
856.983.1800 ext 5502

New York

Guilderland Central School District*
Ginny Harford, Teacher Leader
Kellee deOlde, Site Coordinator
518.861.8591 ext 3170

*Guilderland Central School District site affiliation is with Lesley University; credits for teacher training are through Cortland State University.

Vermont

Northwest Vermont-Addison Reading Recovery Consortium
Debra Boerner, Teacher Leader
Mary Anderson, Site Coordinator
802.871.6245

For more information about Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery works!

“Reading Recovery rescues many students who would otherwise fall further and further behind and wind up getting unnecessary special education services and/or continuing in school careers marked by failure and distress. In addition, Reading Recovery teachers are ambassadors of enlightened, research-based, highly effective practices that carry over into their colleagues’ classrooms.”


Kim Marshall, former principal of the Mather School, Boston, MA;
consultant, and author of The Marshall Memo