The founder of a literacy programme run in Bermuda’s schools has passed away at the age of 81.

Dame Marie Clay, founder of Reading Recover, a scientifically-based reading research programme that teaches all the essential elements of reading, died on April 13 after a brief illness in Auckland, New Zealand.

Reading Recover has been used in both public and private schools for ten years. Every primary school has one or more programme teacher and more than 60 teachers have been trained and since January 1997.

Over 1,400 Primary 2 students have participated in the Reading Recovery programme.

Teachers in Bermuda benefited greatly from Dame Marie’s visit to the Island in 2005 for a professional development day. During her visit she said her programme worked well in here because of the Island’s small size.

Minister of Education, Randy Horton, said yesterday: “Dame Marie was an icon in the world of literacy. Her strategies for helping young children to acquire skills for reading and writing were at the same time brilliant, but entirely practical.

“Our teachers have been meticulously trained in her methods with the result that they more than capable of guiding our young children to success. We extend our sympathy not just to her immediate family, but to the Reading Recovery family around the world.

“She’s truly an inspirational woman and we are deeply indebted to her for the knowledge and awareness she has brought to literacy education,” Education Officer Darnell Wynn said. “She is directly responsible for transforming our vision, pedagogy and instructional practices that ensure literacy success for students. We are better professionals for it.”

Susan Donovan-Gorbutt, who has been the Reading Recovery Teacher at BHS, said: “She touched us with her brilliance and total grasp of reading. I wonder if our students will ever fully realise her greatness and the once-in-a-lifetime experience they shared with Marie.”

The programme is used in English speaking countries around the world.

Dame Marie won many international accolades for her work in literacy.