Reading Recovery Program for 1St Grader

my daughter J. got put in the math one...she can do times tables in her head and add and subtract 3 numbers at a time....i was sad too, but if she needs help she needs help. i was told she might J. not take tests well.
by the way i was told most of these programs are one on one and super fun filled with games...so he'll be getting extra help and having fun

I am a teacher and have helped with these programs. The ones I have worked in were wonderful and very helpful. Have your child in it now, before it becomes a problem that really needs help! Teachers are trained to help...let them :) Kids can fall behind so quickly and every year it will be harder and harder to catch up, so starting now would benefit your child so much! Look at it as a blessing that a teacher cared enough to want to make a difference in your child's life! Best of luck to you!!

Our school has this. It's a great program and it's best to do it early. I think it will help your son a lot as he will get one on one help. It sounds like you are an active parent so I'm sure he is going to be just fine. I kind of wish they would have my son in there, but they are pretty full!

We used to have it in our school. I wish we still did. Kids usually blossom in it. The quicker extra help is provided the better off. The idea is to catch them up before it becomes a major problem. All the kids that got to go from my classroom loved it!

I am so happy that they caught this problem early! So many times, parents are just told to "wait a bit, they'll catch up" ... but by the time the school feels they want to put them in a Reading Recovery program, the child has also gotten discouraged.

As S.H. said, try to put it that he is LUCKY to go... that not everyone gets to do this. I think you will find that his reading will really improve with the extra attention he gets.

If it does show that he is actually having an issue, it is MUCH better that it be caught early, than late.

We had friends when we lived in Iowa.... this was back in the late 80's, when schools were very slow to do something about reading issues/Learning Disabilities. The parents knew there was something wrong... but the schools were literally writing him off! Their attitude was one of... "Now, Mrs. C., not every child is going to succeed at school..."

Fortunately, they had the resources and foresight to have him tested independently... it turned out he was Dyslexic! They were able to take the testing to the school and force the school to recognize that their son qualified for the different programs.

Fortunately, things have changed since then.....

I totally know how you feel... At the Oct teacher conf when one of mine was in 1st grade, the teacher very flatly told me my daughter's reading wasn't grade level. Somehow from K where they didn't need to know anything to 2 months into 1st grade, the standards increased tenfold. I don't know that program but try not to worry. 2 years later, my daughter is reading fine and a bit above grade level. We hired a private tutor bc I didn't know how to teach reading and she's very impatient, was fighting it etc. We since also had a total battery of tests run and turns out she is very intelligent... She has an area of weakness though within the IQ test. I think knowing this type of stuff is helpful as we can try to focus on that area. There's so much emphasis on reading now and so much competition it's tough. But my parents say I wasnt an advanced reader that they remember as a young kid yet by HS, I consistently tested in the top 99% or something like that. So try not to worry. Take advantage of the program though. I also think teachers can pick kids who have a lot of potential and will benefit from the program vs it means he's at the bottom of his class.

I say go ahead and gieve a little, I needed to do that when my son got glasses, Was it the end of the world? no has anyone ever made fun of him? no Is the managable to have him wear them? yes BUT I was Sad and I just needed to be sad, alone where he wouldn't see me for a bit.

But you get over it and you see wearing the glasses or going ot this program IS what they need and That's ok.

My experience is that many many kids who get some one on one or small group attention will shortly make that leap and GET IT!

If you can read to him at abed time or in the afternoon as much as he will sit for 10 mins a day would be great. Pick books he likes, Heck take him to the libary and he gets to pick one and you get to pick one. That in combo with the program they are offering will really really help him.

We are in TX and our younger daughter received reading recovery intervention beginning in the first grade. It was a life saver! The one on one instruction was so valuable and just having another advocate on campus who knew my child and her capabilities made all the difference in the world when we scheduled a meeting with the principal to determine whether or not our child should repeat the 1st grade (by our request). The RR tutor knew WAY more about the testing and programs that would be made available to us once our child was promoted to 2nd grade. She is now in the 8th and is a A/B student in all Pre-AP classes! She still doesn't read for "pleasure" but she has overcome a diagnosis of dyslexia and has the tools available to help her succeed.

Accept the help and keep in mind, another adult on campus that can be an advocate for your student is a GOOD thing to have!

Do not be sad.
When my son was in Kindergarten, he was in this program, recommended by his Teacher.
I was NEVER sad, about it nor about him needing this.
It is GREAT. It is free, at my kids' school.
I saw it as EXTRA reading practice for my son. That is GOOD.
My son... was EXCITED about it, because I never told him it was because he was lacking. I told him he is LUCKY he can go to this... it will help him and the other kids are not lucky like him.
He had NO embarrassment about it nor any apprehension. The Teacher, explained it to the kids as a POSITIVE. Not a negative thing.
Thus, the kids had NO hang ups about it whatsoever.

My son learned SOOOOO much in this program.
And his reading Tutor told me that he really blossomed in it and was like a "leader" to the other kids.
*At my kids' school, the program is done with a small "group" of kids, but the kids are from their own class. Not kids from different classes.

It is a GREAT positive, program.
The kids in it are lucky, that some schools have this.
My kids' are in public school.

My son is now in 1st grade, and he is ON par in reading. He no longer needs to be in this program.

It is ALSO GOOD, that a child's Teacher, recommends a child for these programs. It shows... that the Teacher knows her students and that these programs are of value.
It is great.

Whenever a child needs help, and the Teacher is able to put a child in these free programs to HELP the child, that is good.
It is a plus. An enhancement to their daily learning.

My son and I, were never ashamed, about him being in this program. In fact, my son got excited whenever his reading group met.
My son just needed help with reading. It was not a lack on my part or his part... he just needed extra help. There is nothing wrong with that.
My son excels in other areas. And now with reading too.

It has nothing to do with the "intelligence" of a child.
Even very smart people, need help with certain things.
ALL people, have strengths or weaknesses.
The best thing we can do for our children, is to help them and to help them have fun and excitement about learning.

I was trained in Reading Recovery and think it's a great program. It meets one on one, 30 minutes a day for 20 weeks. At the end of that time, most kids have caught up to their peers or slightly ahead. Kids can go on to be great readers and not need any additional assistance or maybe they meet in small groups as needed. The program teaches children to use all the clues in a book to help them figure out what they're reading. The teacher keeps track of how the child is reading every day and can adjust the lessons accordingly. They also use little books the children can work through quickly and feel more confident.

If you're concerned, get a hold of the Reading Recovery teacher. They can tell you the layout of the program and answer any questions you might have.

One of my best friends is a reading recovery teacher for kids in 1st - 3rd grades. If the school is offering the resource, take them up on it. Even if your son is doing much better than he was previously, you have no point of comparison to where his age should be, where his peers are and probably not the ability to assess him on your own or the training to know the best methods to help him the most. The younger he gets help, the better.

My niece struggled to learn to read, and the school didn't put her into any type of program until late late 2nd grade (when they moved). She was able to recognize less than 20 words at a point when she should've recognized over 60. Once she had help, she learned to read and love reading. The kid always has her nose in a book. However, the delay in learning to read made her feel stupid, insecure and like a failure. Five years later, her self-esteed remains low, and she feels inadequate academically (even though she does just fine in school). She's always afraid she is going to fail...kind of waiting for the shoe to drop. Don't do that to your son.

Hi,

I thought I'd address the issue of whether or not kids grow out of reading issues. I have three kids, now aged 14-21, and none of them could read in first grade. The middle one became an excellent reader by third grade without additional intervention. My oldest was still a seriously delayed reader in high school. Luckily, she was put in a program (called Read Right) as a sophomore and her reading ability went up 8 grade levels in one year(!). My youngest was in 4th grade at that point, and he was also seriously delayed. We started using our own version of the Read Right program at home, and his reading also improved considerably. Neither of my two delayed readers are amazing readers now, but they both read pretty close to grade level and do well in school/college.

So, sometimes kids just "get it" later, and that's okay, but if you are being offered a free program I say take it! It might just be the ticket to get him over the hump. And make sure your family characterizes it as a great opportunity for him, and not a shameful thing.

Good luck!

My son, who is now a senior in high school and applying to college, spent some time with a reading specialist when he was in second grade. We are in CA but I don't know if he was in the Reading Recovery program; at any rate it was a reading specialist. At first I was worried, but it really made a difference. He was just *that much* behind and needed just *that much* help to catch up. Happy to report that 10 years later, you would never know that he had needed any reading assistance at all. I don't think it's a matter of "growing out of" the reading issue - remember that the school district's standards for where children are supposed to be in this particular point in first grade may not at all match your child's reading readiness. Kids master reading at different times and that's OK. That said, I really feel it's far better to get the help needed earlier rather than later, so that your son can get caught up and keep up. Teachers are under enormous pressure to keep the curriculum moving and they typically can't wait for kids who can't keep up - thus the referral to the reading resource program. Good luck, I am sure he'll be fine!

A child is not going to "grow out of" a reading issue. It's not like a behaviorial phase. The only way to resolve the issue is to practice reading. Your son should be reading at least 15 - 20 minutes each night. You can alternate between you reading and him reading, but it should be nightly.

There is nothing to feel sad about. Your son needs some extra help with reading and they are going to give it to him. No reason to be sad about that.

There is no reason why your son won't transition to the next grade especially if you work on the reading at home and he participates in the Reading Recovery Program.

Also, remember that reading ANYTHING is practice. For instance, street and road signs, billboards, etc. Encourage your son to read anything you see while you are driving/walking own the street. It's ALL practice!

Do not feel bad at all about your first grader receiving services for reading. First grade is the grade that children really need to "get" reading. This year is the time for intervention. If you were to wait he would only get further behind. Reading Recovery is an excellent program, so it will get him on his way. Lastly, children learn in all different kinds of ways. Some are whole word readers from the beginning, some need more extensive work with phonics. Again, once the light bulb goes on, he will be reading. Don't fret.