ABSTRACT
One-on-one tutoring of first-grade children who are struggling with reading has become very popular. The most famous tutoring program, Reading Recovery, was begun by Marie Clay in New Zealand. Reading Recovery has now been adopted in nearly every state in the United States, and a Spanish version of the program is spreading in Latin America. The benefits of Reading Recovery are well documented (DeFord, Lyons, & Pinnell, 1991); so, however, are its costs. A study by the San Diego (California) Unified School District (1992) found that the average cost per pupil served by Reading Recovery was $3,250. Reading Recovery teachers typically are assigned to the program for 50% of the school day, and tutor only four students at a time. The typical Reading Recovery teacher serves only eight children over the course of a school year.
