LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Oldham County Schools will continue using a literacy intervention program known as "Reading Recovery," despite backlash that it does more harm than good.  

Additionally, some parents are hoping for a statewide ban on the program.

"It's infuriating," said Kate Farrow, an Oldham County mom who opposes the program. "I mean we fought so hard."

For the past few years, Farrow has tried to persuade leaders in Oldham County Schools that the literacy intervention program known as Reading Recovery does more harm than good.

"My son is still -- he is in eighth grade now -- and he's still getting specialized services to undo the damage that was done," Farrow said. 

Reading Recovery uses a specific learning method in one-on-one tutoring for first graders who struggle to read.

Critics say the program doesn't focus enough on sounding out words, known as phonics, and instead relies on using sentence context to figure out a word they don't know. While those for the program say both techniques are necessary.

Farrow said she was at first pleased that the school system realized her child had a problem with reading and was working to fix it. 

"You get excited as a parent, you trust the Oldham County school system and you think my kid's getting now one-on-one tutoring for a period of weeks, this is going to be great," Farrow said. "But in the end, it really didn't help my son at all. It made things worse." 

Last Monday, the Oldham County School board approved a $100,000 grant from the University of Kentucky Reading Recovery Center to continue to offer Reading Recovery.

The grant said about 200 students will participate in the program in Oldham County this school year.

Lori Webb with Oldham County Schools said that Reading recovery is just one tool schools can use. She released a statement saying: "It is our goal to provide support to all teachers; through varied professional learning experiences, we aim to increase tools in teachers’ toolkits. All children learn in different ways and we work to become experts in diagnosing instructional needs."

Farrow believes some of those tools -- like Reading Recovery -- need to go. 

"If there's a bad tool in the toolbox, you pitch it," Farrow said. "End of story."

Last year, Kentucky lawmakers removed state funding to Reading Recovery's parent organization, Collaborative Center for Literacy Development.

With that in mind, Brandi Dunk -- another mom frustrated by the district's insistence on using the program -- said school districts like Oldham should follow suit. "How can we continue using an intervention that's harmful?"

Several other school districts across Kentucky also use Reading Recovery. Jefferson County Public Schools cut the program districtwide in 2022. In a statement, a district spokesperson said JCPS "does not support, promote, or finance Reading Recovery."

Farrow and Dirk told WDRB they're going to continue to lobby in Frankfort for statewide removal of Reading Recovery in all schools. 

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