Research into how successful readers go about this suggests that phonological awareness is necessary for new word recognition. She contrasts this with traditional phonics teaching, which moves from letter combinations to sounds. Other topics include the role of context in printed word recognition, how we can train young children to be phonologically aware and how reading comprehension develops.
Children have a daily individual lesson structured to meet each child's unique needs.
It is based on a programme designed by the teacher, who is specially trained in Reading Recovery. Four out of five children who receive the programme complete it successfully. They note the features it shares with the National Literacy Strategy. The authors summarise a study which found that 70 per cent of children who had received Reading Recovery at six were keeping up with their class four years later. Children from economically disadvantaged homes who started as non-readers benefited the most.