A Brief History of Reading Recovery in Canada

Reading Recovery was first introduced in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia in 1987. It expanded quickly across Canada, and today it is implemented in boards/districts in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, 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. 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 Western Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery was established in Winnipeg, Manitoba, followed in 2006 by the Eastern Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Central Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery in Toronto, Ontario. These Institutes work in collaboration with the Canadian Institute of Reading Recovery (CIRR) under the Standards and Guidelines set by the CIRR Board of Directors.