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Descubriendo la Lectura

As the number of children learning to read initially in Spanish increases, the need to have an early intervention program for children at risk of literacy failure in Spanish also increases. In addition, the level of literacy success in the native language can affect the level of success in later English literacy. Descubriendo la Lectura was developed because of these needs.

Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) is the reconstruction of Reading Recovery for first-time first graders who are receiving their initial literacy instruction in Spanish. It enables Spanish-speaking students to read and write within the average range of bilingual first grade classrooms.

Descubriendo la Lectura operates within the same theoretical framework as that of Reading Recovery. The differences between Reading Recovery and Descubriendo la Lectura lie with procedural and training issues due to functional and linguistic differences between the English and Spanish languages. Therefore, specific training is required to assure the most effective literacy support for Spanish-speaking students identified as being at risk of failing to learn how to read and write. Marie Clay, developer of Reading Recovery, has been actively involved with DLL since its inception. Research projects, the reconstruction of the Observation Survey tasks, and the full Spanish translation of the Observation Survey text were conducted in consultation with Dr. Clay.

From Reading Recovery to Descubriendo la Lectura

The Reading Recovery/Descubriendo la Lectura Bridging Institute is an intensive two-week course offered each summer at TWU. Participants are bilingual educators trained in Reading Recovery who intend to implement DLL for the upcoming school year.

2002-2003 Statistics:

• 21 Reading Recovery/Descubriendo la Lectura teacher leaders
• 253 Reading Recovery/Descubriendo la Lectura teachers across 40 school districts
• sites inside and outside of our network -- in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington

An elected Descubriendo la Lectura representative sits on the Board of Directors for the Reading Recovery Council of North America to ensure that issues related to DLL are addressed. This individual also serves as the chair of the DLL Standing Committee, which is the focal point of all activities related to DLL in North America.