It has been interesting following the discussion on Reading Recovery and some ot its perceived pros and cons.? Unfortunately, making generalities does not come close to depicting how RR can forever change the course of a child's life. It was somewhat ironic to me that my own son needed RR, especially since he was read to in utero and exposed to print both at home in preschool.? His first grade teacher insisted that he was fine, but the OS showed he did not know how to use all the bits and pieces he had learned.? With the help and expertise of my mentor and LOTS of patience, the light went on.? I will never forget that moment.? While he only reads sports related material to this day, he made his bar mitzvah,can read Hebrew, and is now in college.? Had he not learned to read, I am not sure how he would have survived and progressed in his school.
If a student exits from RR and begins to tank in second grade, perhaps we need to ask ourselves if the classroom reading program is best suited to that child.? Could it be that some students need something different from most students in that class?? RR teaches a teacher how to think and plan for each child, and this thinking and expertise might be beneficial for some children throughout their education.? I am presently teaching ESL in another state and have found my RR training to be invaluable in planning and teaching my students.? My goal is not simply to teach English, but to build literacy while teaching English.? RR has taught me how to think to target instruction for my students and stay in their ZPD.? The regular classroom teachers are thrilled with the support, accelerated student progress, and meaningful referrals when needed. RR has honed my thinking and teaching and as a result, hundreds of students have benefitted from either my 1:1 RR lessons or classroom instruction.? Most importantly, as I think about each child, I am always reminded that each of these kids is someone's child and like my son, they are entitled to the best of the best instruction.? RR has made that possible. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
