Reading plan brings 11,000 slow learners up to speed

Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

More than 11,000 children needed help with reading last year but by the end of their Reading Recovery programme, the majority were at the same level as the rest of their classmates.

The findings come from the Reading Recovery annual monitoring report which was released yesterday.

The early-intervention programme, in use since 1984, provides intensive, individual help to children who are falling behind in reading and writing after one-year at primary school.

Last year, 11,085 children - including 14 per cent of 6-year-olds in state and state-integrated schools around the country - needed that help.

By the end of 2009, nearly 60 per cent of students in the programme had successfully finished their series of lessons - the great majority of them reaching the required reading level for a student after two years at school.

A quarter were expected to continue the programme this year, while 10 per cent were referred on for specialist help or long-term reading support.

The report found boys and Maori and Pasifika students were more likely to be involved in Reading Recovery. But, despite that need, access was slightly reduced for Maori and Pasifika as the programme wasn't always offered in their schools.

Students in decile 1 schools spent an average of 52.6 hours in Reading Recovery last year - for decile 10 schools the figure was 47.3 hours.

Girls, students from higher decile schools, NZ European/Pakeha and Asian students were more likely to be successful in the programme than boys, students from lower decile schools and Maori/Pasifika students.

Reading Recovery trainer Christine Boocock said the report showed relatively consistent findings to previous years. This year, National Standards were included for the first time.

Most students successfully finishing last year's programme were well on track to meeting the new reading National Standard for their age.

Ms Boocock said the number of schools participating in Reading Recovery had remained constant in recent years but she would like to see more schools involved.

The Ministry of Education spent nearly $21 million in the 2009/10 financial year on the programme, covering the cost of training and professional development for tutors and teachers and of Reading Recovery staffing to support the schools that sign up.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said Reading Recovery had proved effective in lifting student achievement. As a result it was an "integral part of the support offered to students identified through National Standards as needing extra help".

Ms Tolley said the Government was also investing $18 million each year in new intervention programmes for students who need extra support in reading, writing and maths.

FAST RECOVERY

Reading Recovery - 2009
* 11,085 students (about 14 per cent) involved in Reading Recovery.
* 58 per cent had successfully finished the programme by the end of the year.
* Boys, Maori and Pasifika students more likely to be involved but girls, students from high-decile schools and Asian and NZ European/Pakeha students more successful at it.