A second chance to learn: One child's path to literacy

The purpose of this case study was to examine the reading behaviors of an at-risk reader and how they changed over time as he participated in Reading Recovery instruction. The focus of the study was the description of a student's reading behaviors at the beginning of instruction, the changes that occurred over time and the student's reading behaviors at the end of the program. The participant in this case study was a child in grade one who received Reading Recovery instruction from a trained Reading Recovery teacher. Reading behaviors as the child read from a familiar book and a new book during the lessons were recorded weekly and analysed. Results of pre and post tests were also compared. The findings revealed that, over time as the child received lessons in Reading Recovery, his reading behaviors changed from those characteristic of an at-risk reader to those of a successful reader. Post test scores indicated improvement in letter and word identification, writing vocabulary, and phonological awareness. The findings are discussed within the context of Clay's theory of reading and support early intervention as an effective means in helping at-risk readers overcome their reading difficulties.