Reading Recovery opens new centre at Te Aro School

The opening of the newest Reading Recovery Centre at Te Aro School in Wellington on 29 March showed a continued commitment to the future of Reading Recovery, 40 years after the intervention was first available to New Zealand schools.

Provided by the Ministry of Education, the centre is one of 28 other training sites across the country and will be the base for tutors to train and support Wellington Reading Recovery teachers. The new centre at Te Aro School replaces the previous one that had been used since 1987.

Reading Recovery Centres themselves are unique, with one-way viewing screens installed for teachers to observe and discuss each other’s lessons, to help improve their teaching.

Developed in New Zealand, Reading Recovery is now widely implemented in English- speaking countries throughout the world.

It identifies children having difficulty early before problems become consolidated, and provides specialised one-to-one assistance from a teacher trained in Reading Recovery procedures.

National Reading Recovery trainer Dr Christine Boocock, who opened the new building alongside two former Reading Recovery students, said the centre represents a commitment to the future of Reading Recovery in this country.

“This magnificent new facility will be a wonderful base from which to raise the profile and strengthen the participation of schools in the intervention in this region.”

Attendees at the launch included representatives from the Ministry of Education, the architects and builders involved in the project, Future Learning Solutions and current and previous Reading Recovery tutors from the local area.