TWU To Host Reading Recovery Institute

10/6/03

DENTON — In the classroom or on the field, teamwork is an important ingredient for success. More than 2,200 educators from across the country and one former Dallas Cowboy will team-up in Fort Worth this month to share ideas and experiences on how to help poor readers.

The Reading Recovery/Early Literacy Institute, hosted by Texas Woman’s University, will take place Oct. 15-17 at the Fort Worth Convention Center and is designed for teachers, administrators, school support personnel, parents and all persons interested in early literacy and intervention programs. Information about the institute is available by contacting the TWU Office of Lifelong Learning at (940) 898-3408, (800) 250-7808 or by visiting www.twu.edu/lifelong.

Dr. Billie Askew, professor emerita at TWU and a Reading Recovery trainer, will be the institute’s opening keynote speaker with her presentation titled “Preventing Reading Failure: Will We Do What It Takes?” Author Ralph Fletcher, whose books on writing include Craft Lessons, What A Writer Needs, A Writer’s Notebook and How Writers Work, will be the closing keynote speaker with his talk titled “Real Writing.” And former Dallas Cowboy Darryl Johnston will address institute participants immediately following lunch on Thursday, Oct. 16. Twenty-one experts in reading and early literacy also will present lectures and workshops at the institute.

TWU is one of 23 Reading Recovery university training centers in the United States and one of only two universities in the U.S. providing training for Descubriendo La Lectura, the Spanish language version of Reading Recovery.

Reading Recovery has a successful track record of helping poor readers and has been used in Texas schools since 1988. Nearly 300 Texas school districts use the program.

During the 12- to 20-week program, first graders who have difficulty reading and writing meet individually with a specially trained teacher for 30 minutes a day to improve their skills. Most of the students who complete a full Reading Recovery program can learn in a regular classroom setting and don't need additional remedial services.

Teamwork is an indispensable element in establishing Reading Recovery programs in individual school districts. Elementary school teachers known as "teacher leaders" spend a year at one of the training universities learning how to implement the program

The setting is far from just learning theory. Teacher leaders actually teach Reading Recovery during that year — while being observed by trainers and other team leaders. They discuss what works and what doesn't work.

Once teacher leaders complete their training, they then return to their school districts to instruct other teachers on how to use Reading Recovery with students. Currently, there are more than 100 teacher leaders in Texas.

Verizon is providing support for this year's institute, including sponsoring Mr. Johnston’s address during the conference.

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For Further Information Contact:

Roy Kron
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu