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Primary education

Reading advice

6 replies

tikkapots · 08/03/2010 16:25

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on this, I am going to parents evening next week and wanted to get some opinions before I speak to the teacher.

My lo is in Y1 and is doing well with his reading and was one of the first to be a free reader. In his class they move them on to a free reading system once they get on to ORT level 5 (which is earlier than in other schools I know). Free reading at our school is picking a book from a particular band which in my los case a gray band (he following the standard band colours till green and after that went on to Gray not orange as I had expected).

Now, lo has been on this gray band for about 4.5 months and during this time has really progressed with his reading. I know this because 4.5 months ago at the last parents evening lo could not read from cover to cover a Harry and the Bucket Full of Dinosaurs book and now he can do this easily. However, some of the books he brings home from school are very short and he knows all the words in them. I dropped a note in his school book asking for something more challenging and he did start to come home with some much longer books with words he did not know which is great, they still had a gray band.

I guess, I am trying to understand how books so different in lenght and complexity can be in the same gray book band? At least with ORT the books got gradually longer and longer and the words and plot more complex.

Also, if his reading has progressed so much in the last 4.5 books and some of the books in the gray band are no challenge at all, should I ask if he can be moved up a band or is that just me being pushy?

I will ask the teacher (who is lovely) all these questions. But thought I'd see what your thoughts were first.

Thanks ever so

TP

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SeaTrek · 08/03/2010 18:59

My son's school does this - calls it 'free' reading when it isn't really!

They become free readers after band 10 but there are three more bands of 'free' readers after that! So, in reality they have 13 bands before proper 'free' reading. Which I think is about right, looking at the books. I think they do it so that the vast majority of the children can think they have become free readers before the end of infants.

I would just ask for them to put him up to the next band. Have you had a look at the next one? Maybe they have just brought bands 5/6/7 together and called them grey. Maybe the next box up is bands 8/9/10 mixed? It would be interesting to know why they decided to call it free reading so early on and what they levels of this are.

I don't think you are being too pushy if it has been 4.5 months. A lot of my son's year one class are on band 8/9/10+ now.

Anyway, I know I am of no real help - just lots of rambling! My advice is just to ask the teacher, they are the only ones who know really.

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tikkapots · 08/03/2010 19:22

Thanks for your reply SeaTrek

I've not had a look at the next band, but will ask her about it when I go in and see what she thinks about moving him up.

I hadn't thought that they might have mixed some bands together, but it would make sense as the difference in difficulty between the books is vast and really confused me.

Our YR kids are no where near levels 8, 9 10 and I think most are on 4, 5 or the mysterious gray band. I just want him to be on the right level for him and for me to be able to understand how it works.

Hopefully it will all become clear after parents evening next week.

Thanks again

TP

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MumNWLondon · 08/03/2010 19:27

Just speak to teacher and ask for him to be given the harder ones in the box at the grey level and to be moved up to the easiest ones in the next box when he's got through them? Sounds as if lots of different levels in there - the ORT books get harder very very gradually hard to see the difference between level 6 to 7, 7 to 8, 8 to 9.

My DD is in year 1 and is just finishing ORT 9 (one B&C book left hooray!). There are only 2 children in the class who have finished level 9 (according to her).

I still wouldn't say she is a "free reader" - she can read the mr men books confidently and my naughtly little sister books, and could just about manage Horrid Henry but we tried to read "the worst witch" together and it was a little hard.

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tikkapots · 09/03/2010 07:10

Thanks MumNW

Asking for some easier books from the next box/band along with the more difficult ones from the current box sounds like a good idea. No idea what ORT he would be on now but I know that 6 pose no challenge to him at all so possibly 7 or 8?

I guess if I am honest it would be nice to have a benchmark so that I as a mum can see he is progressing. However, I know that he is progressing through the texts he is reading at home as opposed to what he is bringing home from school.

I don't know why the school call it free reading, but will ask. I don't think the teacher is a fan of ORT and likes them to read different texts. I'll ask her about it next week.

Thanks for replying.

TP

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MumNWLondon · 09/03/2010 10:49

I don't blame the teachers for not liking ORT and I agree that its better to read different texts, but sounds like its more difficult to find books that challenge him yet not are too hard.

Try also getting some of the blue banana books from your local library - they are equiv to ORT 7-8.

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MrsMatey · 09/03/2010 10:57

Dd was reading stage 9 Biff & Chip last year and they were pretty easy compared to a year later, one of the recent books she had home (along with a stage 14 ORT) was from ORT Stage 9 Jackdaws - horrid books and miles ahead of Biff & Chip in terms of difficulty. So I wouldn't agree that ORT gradually get more complex - it depends which books the school buys.

I don't think it's pushy to describe how you child is reading at home and then ask the teacher if she thought that your dd needed to move up a level.
Either way don't be led by school reading levels - let your child choose appropriate books for themselves to read from the library, let them explore, enjoy and control their own reading in their leisure time - school reading books are a necessary evil not worth getting concerned over.

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