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Improving Literacy in KS1 Guidance Report
Education Endowment Foundation, September 2020
The aim of this recently published guidance is to ‘support consistently excellent, evidence-informed literacy provision for children throughout their time in school and whatever their background’ (p.2). The report contains eight key recommendations to impact children’s learning in KS1 and cites Reading Recovery as an evidence-based approach:
There is extensive and consistent evidence of the impact of intensive small group and one-to-one support. Significantly, this tutoring seems most impactful for younger pupils, particularly when the additional support is offered in school or when focused on reading. There are many intervention programmes available for schools to purchase, however, only a handful of targeted literacy programmes have been rigorously evaluated in England or evaluated with KS1 pupils.
Reading Recovery, an intensive teacher-led 1:1 reading programme for KS1 pupils, is highlighted by the EIF guidebook for the positive impacts found in several high-quality evaluations conducted in America.
This is consistent with the evidence that 1:1 tuition can have particularly positive impacts if delivered by a teacher. (p.47)
Recommendation 8 (p.9)
Use high-quality structured interventions to help pupils who are struggling with their literacy
- Schools should initially focus on ensuring they offer high quality in-class support for the whole class. However, even when excellent classroom teaching is in place, it is likely that a small but significant number of children will require additional targeted literacy support.
- Use accurate assessment of capabilities and difficulties to ensure interventions are appropriately matched to pupils needs.
- Use one-to-one and small-group tutoring ideally involving structured interventions. There is consistent evidence the approach supports children struggling with aspects of literacy.
- Regularly review children’s progress whilst they are part of the intervention to ensure the support indeed enhances their learning.
Read case studies of effective Reading Recovery intervention.
The evidence base for the impact of Reading Recovery.
Contact your local Teacher Leader about training a Reading Recovery teacher for your school.
Sneinton primary school is one of the top in the country for reading
A Nottingham primary school has been praised after it was placed in the top one per cent in the country for reading. Reading lead and reading recovery teacher, Julie Doyle, believes this achievement is down to early intervention from the school as well as the support of parents and governors.
Nottinghampost.com, 14 February 2020
The Forgotten Third, Full report of the independent Commission of Inquiry
”The Commission has also noted the success, rooted in significant investment for each child, of the Reading Recovery literacy programme, an early intervention designed to help the lowest attaining children aged five and six learn to read. A study by Pro Bono Economics reported on research which found that: “Reading Recovery support increased the likelihood that a child will attain 5+ good GCSEs (including Maths and English) by 18 – 26 percentage points and reduced the proportion of children requiring a SEN Statement/EHCP by 7 percentage points.”
Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), September 2019
Sneinton C of E Primary School have been celebrating the success of over 10 years of Reading Recovery.
Reading Recovery Europe News, 11 July 2019
Malta schools examine how IOE-led Reading Recovery programme is implemented in Bristol
Malta’s National Literacy Agency is visiting Bristol schools (9-10 July) to see how Reading Recovery can reduce the number of children struggling to learn literacy and have wider benefits across the school.
IOE News, 9 June 2019
How literacy interventions help children with long-term difficulties
Dr Sue Bodman discusses how literacy interventions can help children with long-term difficulties…
Education for Everybody, issue 61, 5 June 2019
Schools visited by a Spanish academic to see how IOE literacy programme supports struggling readers
Schools in Portsmouth that undertake the Reading Recovery programme have received a visit from a Spanish academic today (Tuesday 14 May) who observed how schools are helping struggling readers overcome their problems with literacy.
IOE News, 14 May 2019
10 Years On: The Impact of Reading Recovery
New research shows that early intervention can have a lasting effect on children’s literacy - helping to close the disadvantage gap, explains Dr Susan Bodman...
teachwire, 8 April 2019
Exploring the long-term impact of Reading Recovery
Literacy expert Dr Susan Bodman, discusses the need for early intervention for children struggling with reading in KS1.
QA Education, 26 March 2019
City’s reading success helped by 1-1 support scheme
Nearly 3,000 primary age children in Brighton & Hove who have struggled with learning to read have been helped over the last 10 years by a specialist reading scheme.
Newsroom, Brighton & Hove City Council, 7 March 2019
London pupils and the IOE celebrate reading at the launch of Read Aloud month
London schoolchildren have been discovering the power of reading in an event held at UCL Institute of Education (IOE).
IOE News, 4 March 2019
Youngsters put reading skills to the test
VIP visitor left Neilston pupils with story to tell
Barrhead News, East Renfrewshire, 20 February 2019
The impact of Reading Recovery ten years after intervention
‘Two independent research reports commissioned by the KPMG Foundation into the long-term benefits of Reading Recovery, reveal that the intervention helps close the GCSE attainment gap between these children and their peers. The research shows that Reading Recovery has the potential to deliver up to £1.2 billion to the economy in the form of increased lifetime earnings and reduced costs for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.’
- Hurry, J. and Fridkin, L. (2018), The impact of Reading Recovery ten years after intervention’, UCL Institute of Education
- Pro Bono Economics (2018), ‘Assessing the impact of the Reading Recovery programme. An economic evaluation’.
Read the full KPMG press release here.
Read the UCL press release here.
KPMG, 5 December 2018
Reading Recovery and the KPMG report
Reading Recovery is one of the most powerful ways to address the needs of struggling readers in the early years. As an effective early intervention for the lowest attaining pupils, it has always welcomed robust evaluations from independent sources to inform its development. Since Reading Recovery was introduced in the United Kingdom and Europe in 1990, data have been collected and analysed for each of the 200,887 children served allowing its impact to be assessed independently and in a variety of ways.
The most recent evaluation compared outcomes for pupils admitted to Reading Recovery in 2005 with a group of pupils, matched by attainment and in different schools who did not receive the treatment (Hurry and Fridkin, 2019). Ten years on, the findings show that the Reading Recovery pupils were more than twice as likely as the control group to achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics. A companion cost-benefit analysis calculated the benefits from these enhanced levels of attainment at GCSE.
A third group of children in Reading Recovery schools who were given small group provision rather than one-to-one lessons also did better at GCSE than the group of pupils who received no treatment, but they did not perform as well as the children who received Reading Recovery. This is consistent with the vision of Reading Recovery which addresses individual children’s needs within a systemic framework, using the Reading Recovery teacher’s expertise to enhance literacy tuition for weaker readers throughout the school.
Reading Recovery is fully committed to putting its impact to the test and will continue to welcome fair and objective evaluations of its implementation.
Bristol family to speak at the House of Lords about how Reading Recovery changed their lives
Bristol City Council Newsroom, 5 December 2018
Reading scheme at age 5 helps GCSE success
Reading Recovery participants more than twice as likely than similar children to achieve five or more good GCSEs 10 years later.
TES, 5 December 2018
The case for early intervention: the impact of Reading Recovery on the phonics screening check
Researchers at the ILC and UCL’s CREATE report a positive impact from Reading Recovery on pupils' phonics check scores. Phonics and Reading Recovery briefing.
Read the IOE press release.
UCL Insitute of Education, 4 December 2018
Every Child Our Future (2018)
Learn about Every Child Our Future – Jersey. Reading Recovery teachers in Jersey work with children who are severely behind their peers.
“As soon as we started in September he excelled and now he is in the highest group in his class.”
ECOF - Jersey, video, November 2018
Realising the potential of early intervention
Reading Recovery is one of a small number of programmes given as examples of effective early intervention in a new report launched by the Early Intervention Foundation Realising the potential of early intervention.
Early Intervention Foundation, 31 October 2018
"The teacher is our best resource"
"Our goal is to enable as many children as possible to be literate".
Learn about the work of Reading Recovery Europe: http://bit.ly/2yxKcMV
UCL Institute of Education, YouTube, 25 October 2018
The impacts of Reading Recovery at scale
A study published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis presents findings from a four-year evaluation of a national scale-up of Reading Recovery - a one-to-one reading intervention for struggling first grade (Year 2) readers.
Institute for Effective Education, 15 May 2018
Success for pupils living in poverty
Mentions Reading Recovery in East Renfrewshire
Barrhead News, 25 April 2018
The Institute for Effective Education has rated Reading Recovery as STRONG evidence for primary reading.
'Reading Recovery has been rated as 'strong' for primary reading. This is the highest possible rating and lets educators know that the intervention has a good chance of improving pupils' outcomes if implemented as designed.'
Institute for Effective Education, University of York, 11 April 2018
Moores and Kitt help local school with reading skills
Nottinghamshire first-team squad members Tom Moores and Ben Kitt took time out from their pre-season preparations to listen to children from Rosslyn Park Primary and Nursery School read excerpts from their favourite books.
Trent Bridge News, 27 March 2018
Reading Recovery launches in Malta
UCL News, TV Malta, 15 March 2018
Limerick primary schools take part in programme to improve children's literacy
Limerick Today, 4 March 2018
Bristol pupils get reading boost during Read Aloud month
Pupils from Bristol primary schools are getting a chance to read their favourite books to a series of high profile people this February as part of a month long celebration of reading.
Bristol City Council Newsroom, 22 February 2018
Visit to the Royal Theatre Stratford East
On Tuesday 20th February, North Beckton Primary celebrated the achievements of some of our children, who with the help of their parents and the school, had overcome literacy difficulties through the Reading Recovery Intervention.
North Beckton Primary School, 23 February 2018
Barrhead schoolkids read to River City star Frances Thorburn during library visit
The children were taking part in the International Literacy Centre's Read Aloud month, which is a series of events celebrating the pupils' achievements in learning to read and encouraging them to become role models for other youngsters.
Evening Times, Glasgow, 5 February 2018
All about... literacy
Effective literacy teaching involves much more than synthetic phonics
Nursery World, 5 February 2018
Dagenham pupils show off literacy success at 'Read Aloud' event in the British Library
Dagenham schoolchildren were handed the stage at the British Library today to celebrate their reading achievements.
Year One pupils from Grafton Primary have been taking part in UCL's Institute of Education programme, Reading Recovery, aimed at getting struggling readers up to speed.
Barking and Dagenham Post, 31 January 2018
IOE celebrates success of young readers in London
UCL Institute of Education (IOE) and the British Library today celebrated the achievements of London school children who have overcome problems with literacy through the IOE's Reading Recovery Programme.
UCL Institute of Education, 31 January 2018
Portsmouth school given award for work on reading
St John's Cathedral Catholic Primary School, in Landport, Portsmouth, was given an award for its dedication to encouraging children to reach their expected reading age.
The Portsmouth news, 24 July 2017
Young reader achiever scoops national award
A Year 2 pupil from Moorside Primary School in Droylsden has been recognised at a national reading awards ceremony in London in front of special guests, including actress Gillian Anderson.
Tameside Reporter, 21 July 2017
Budding book worm receives trophy from author
More good news on Reading Recovery Award winners from the Rugby Observer.
Rugby Observer 19th July 2017
Primary school teacher honoured in national awards ceremony
Stacey was 'highly commended' in the Reading Recovery Teacher of the Year Award.
Coalville, Ashby & Swadlincote Times, 14 July 2017
South Park Primary School awarded for helping underachieving pupils with their reading
South Park Primary School has become the first school in the borough to win the Reading Recovery School of the Year Award.
The Ilford Recorder, 13 July 2017
Rugby Observer praises local Reading Recovery Award winner
ONCE upon a time there was a schoolgirl in the town of Rugby who read aloud so well that she won a national award…
Six year-old Taya Adams has been named as a winner in the reading category of the 2017 Reading Recovery Awards.
Rugby Observer, 9 June 2017
St Peter's CE Primary School in Farnworth turns children into young bookworms
A PRIMARY school is first class when it comes to encouraging its youngsters to read.
St Peter's CE Primary School in Farnworth is celebrating being University College London's Institute of Education Reading Recovery School of the Year.
The Bolton News, 6 June 2017
Reading Recovery and Arsenal - Matchday Programme article
Reading Recovery and Arsenal Double Club collaboration - Article in Arsenal vs Manchester United Matchday Programme, 7 May 2017
Reading aloud packs a punch with pupils
Kickboxer Regis Sugden stressed the importance of reading to nine youngsters as part of a national campaign.
Year two and three pupils at William Gladstone Academy, Newark, read aloud to the 21-year-old Suggy's Gym star.
Newark Advertiser, 20 April 2017
On the road to reading recovery
"Jamie was struggling at school," says his grandfather Morgan Tande, "he wasn't interested in going and had so many excuses every morning; everyday it was a struggle to get him to school."
Bristol 24/7 , 4 April 2017
Bristol pupils get reading boost during Read Aloud month
Pupils from Bristol schools will get a chance to read their favourite books to a series of high profile people this week as part of Read Aloud, a month long celebration of UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Reading Recovery initiatives.
Bristol City Council Newsroom, 22 February 2017
Firefighters help children with reading
Fightfighters from Bristol have been helping children with their reading
BBC Radio Bristol, 21 February 2017
City pair show their support towards local primary school
Callum O'Dowda and Mark Little visited Greenfield E-ACT Primary School to encourage pupils to read as part of the nationwide Read Aloud project.
BCFC, 21 February 2017
Both sides score on literacy visit
Pupils from Blidworth Oaks Primary School visited Meadow Lane this week to read with the Notts County first team. The children are involved in the Reading Recovery programme, tailored to help those who had difficulty with literacy at an early age.
Nottingham Post, 9 February 2017
The Big Picture - Reading goals
Education secretary Justine Greening attended the launch of a new partnership between Arsenal in the Community and the UCL Institute of Education (IoE) with the aim to reach more north London children with reading programmes.
Nursery World, 6 February 2017
Education Secretary visits Arsenal football club to launch reading and football partnership
The Education Secretary Justine Greening visited Arsenal football club to listen to children read, celebrating their achievements and marking the launch of a literacy partnership.
Day Nurseries, 2 February 2017
New schemes announced across the UK to boost learning through football
Arsenal Football Club played host to education secretary Justine Greening yesterday to celebrate the launch of a joint reading initiative between Arsenal in the Community and the University College London's Institute of Education (IOE.)
The scheme aims to improve literacy performance in schools by providing young people in London with specialist reading programmes through Arsenal's Double Club initiative and the IOE's Reading Recovery intervention - a programme which supports five and six-year-olds who struggle with literacy.
QA Education, 2 February 2017
Education Secretary impressed by "literacy and sporting activities" during Arsenal in the Community visit
Education Secretary Justine Greening this week visited Arsenal football club to mark the launch of a joint reading initiative between Arsenal in the Community and the University College London's Institute of Education.
The partnership aims to raise educational achievement with access to reading programmes for more children in north London through Arsenal's Double Club initiative and the IOE's Reading Recovery literacy intervention.
Essex TV, 2 February 2017
Education Secretary visit to Arsenal football club
Education Secretary Justine Greening today (30 January 2017) visited Arsenal football club to mark the launch of a joint reading initiative between Arsenal in the Community and the University College London's Institute of Education (IOE).
The Edgazette, 30 January 2017
Education Minister launches UCL and Arsenal literacy initiative
Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening attended the launch of a new partnership between Arsenal in the Community and the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) today (30 January 2017).
Through the IOE's Reading Recovery literacy intervention and Arsenal's Double Club initiative, the partnership aims to reach more north London children and raise educational achievement.
The Edgazette, 30 January 2017
How gender stereotypes kick in age six
Joanna Gosling spoke to Professor Paul Howard-Jones, an education neuroscientist from Bristol University, and Professor Gemma Moss, director of the UCL Institute of Education's International Literacy Centre, to discuss where children are picking up influences at such a young age.
BBC 2 Victoria Derbyshire show, 27 January 2017
Girl Power: How can books empower young girls?
Girl Power needs to start young - with storybooks - to challenge the assumption that boys are smarter, Professor Gemma Moss, an education expert has said.
BBC News, 27 January 2017
BBC Radio 4's Today programme, 27 January 2017