much-needed breathing space after the summer holidays. But for many chidren, the prospect is often treated with dread; particularly those with learning problems. In a two-part series, Kristy Warren looks at programmes to help needy youngsters. Here she examines the reading recovery programme and learning support teachers. WITH thousands of young people beginning classes next week, it's not unusual for some to experience anxiety.

And this can be down to more than just first day of school jitters.

Hundreds of children throughout Bermuda need assistance for various reasons.

Some have motor problems and with others it is behaviour that interferes with learning.

And whereas some children in the past were simply allowed to lag behind, there are now many resources within the public school system which assist students who need extra help.

Among them are the reading recovery programme and learning support teachers.

The reading recovery programme is an early intervention programme, designed for children who have only spent one year in school.

And so far it is significantly reducing the number of children who have difficulty with reading and writing.

I N the 1997-1998 school year, the programme assessed 130 children with a 95 percent success rate.

"This programme puts a net across the school system to catch children who are having literacy difficulty,'' reading recovery consultant Isabel Montgomery said. "The impact over time will be dramatic. I am very excited about the prospects.'' Ms Montgomery explained that the programme targeted the lowest achievers in the normal classroom setting.

During a daily half-hour lesson, the reading recovery teacher works with the child outside of the classroom. And although there is a framework, each lesson is tailored to the child's response using the child's strengths to address the weaknesses.

"We want robust and independent readers and writers who can function at at least the average level,'' Ms Montgomery said.

The programme is used in addition to the classroom reading and writing lessons with a focus on comprehending and constructing messages. Ms Montgomery said the programmes aimed not only to improve a child's reading and writing ability, but also to accelerate it.

"The children in the programme are learning faster than their peers in the classroom,'' she added.

The aim is to eventually have at least one reading recovery teacher in each public primary school.

T HE reading recovery programme is an internationally recognised programme which was introduced to the Island in January 1997.

It was developed from the research of Dr. Marie Clay at the University of New Zealand.

So far there are 18 trained reading recovery teachers in Bermuda and a new group of about ten teachers will begin training this month.

Children throughout the school system also benefit from learning support teachers.

The role of the learning support teacher is to collaborate with the classroom teacher to meet the diverse needs of all students. If the classroom teacher identifies a child who needs help and finds that he or she is not able to meet those needs, he or she calls a school team meeting.

"In this meeting she informs the team, which includes the learning support teacher and the parents among other members, of the child's needs,'' Education officer Darlene Warner explained.

MS Warner added that once the child's problem had been identified the learning support teacher would do a more in-depth assessment of the child.

"She will identify the areas which need intervention and will develop an individual education programme (I.E.P.) in collaboration with the classroom teacher,'' she said.

The teachers will then develop goals and objectives for the child and will identify any modifications or accommodations which need to be made for the child.

After this is done the classroom teacher calls an I.E.P. meeting at which the parents, classroom teacher, principal, and learning support teacher are present and goals are discussed.

If the parent agrees to the programme, the learning support teacher and the classroom teacher plan lessons so that they can teach together.

"Marrying the content that the classroom teacher has and the strategies which the learning support teacher specialises in benefits all the children,'' Ms Warner said.

SHE explained that the two teachers would normally parallel teach, each working with a different group of children.

She also explained that although one-on-one teaching was sometimes used, an effort was made to keep the child in the classroom with his peers. The child's progress is reviewed in February and in May or June.

At this time it is determined whether or not the child is ready to exit the programme.

If it is found he or she still needs help, the goals are re-assessed to see what modifications are needed or if new goals need to be created.