They develop good reading strategies that carryover in class. Our kindergarten son became interested in brother's reading and often sat and listened as his brother read books. The smiles I see on his face as he reads make it well worthwhile. Districts or universities that have adopted the program according to established guidelines are designated Reading Recovery sites. Each approved site is staffed by trained Reading Recovery teachers and one or more teacher leaders who train the teachers.
Teachers spend half of each day working individually with children selected for the program.
During the remaining portion of the day they perform regularly assigned duties in their home school. The assignment could be working as a Chapter I, kindergarten, or first grade teacher. The one-year teacher training program includes a week of assessment training before the school year begins, weekly class meetings throughout the year, and a number of school visits from the teacher leader for guidance and support. Teachers earn six hours of graduate credit from Illinois State University as they study reading and writing theory and practice. After the training year, teachers continue to learn about the reading process and refine their Reading Recovery teaching.