A Brief History of Reading Recovery in Canada

First introduced in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia in 1987, Reading Recovery quickly expanded across Canada and today is implemented in boards/districts in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and the Yukon Territory.

In 1992, Dame Marie Clay, originator of Reading Recovery, granted the Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery (CIRR) the right to register the royalty-free trademark for the term Reading Recovery in Canada. The CIRR was formally opened in 1993 at the University of Toronto through a partnership with Scarborough Board of Education and the university faculty. Prior to this time, Canadian teacher leaders trained at the National Reading Recovery Centre in New Zealand or at The Ohio State University in the United States.

In 1995, the Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery Western Division was established in Manitoba, followed in 2003 by the Atlantic Division in Nova Scotia, in 2006 by The Central Division, and in 2009 by the Mountain Pacific Division in British Columbia.

These divisions work in collaboration with the CIRR under the Standards and Guidelines set by the CIRR Board of Directors.