The ways in which the Reading Recovery Programme supports children with reading difficulties is considered in this article within the context of the national development of the programme in England which began in the 1990s. We go on to describe the implementation of this early intervention programme in one London LEA. We then compare the Early Literacy Support Programme and the Reading Recovery Programme and consider how the two approaches attempt to raise standards of literacy, and support children's literacy experiences in the early years. (Contains 1 note.)