Book band colour and reading stages

[thebelletolls]

Are there any teachers or MNs who can tell me the difference between the book band colour and the reading stages? My ds (Yr 1) came home today with one book that looks like it's the same stage as before and another that spans three stages, one below and one above, they both have different colour bands. There was a note in his diary saying they were moving him up to this next colour band as he was doing so well. Not at all worried as he seems to be doing well but is this 1 step forward and 2 back or just conflicting systems ?

[mychatnickname]

Google National Curriculum book bands and it should explain.
Different schemes have different numbers and colours for the stages but you should be able to compare.
Was it Oxford Reading Tree or another scheme? If the former there is a document 'leveling' all the ORT books online which will help you compare.

[thebelletolls]

One book was Oxford Reading Tree and the other Oxford Literacy Web. Will look it up as you advise - thank you.

[Lydwatt]

Does this help?

[thebelletolls]

Just had a peak on OUP Bookbands, mychatname and couldn't see the colour of the book band on the list (black).

[thebelletolls]

Actually just had another look and there was a band without a colour so maybe that was it and they forgot to write it in. mystery. Couldn't the whole thing be made simpler? I'm sure Janet and John never had colour bands and I can read just fine as does everyone I know!

[Hulababy]

ORT stages do span different colour bands at times. It isn't always the case that all stage 3 books are in the sam colour band, for example. Similarly, the Alberg Happy Families books span different colou bands despite being of the same ilk as one another.

Think mrz is good on this.

[Hulababy]

What colour is your DS on? Is the widely recognised scheme or the school's own scheme?

I ask as you mention black, and AFAIK black is not on the wiely recognised colour scheme which runs (IIRR):

lilac
pink
red
yellow
blue
green
orange
purple
turquoise
gold
white
lime

[Hulababy]

Oops = turqoise and purple are the other way round.

[thebelletolls]

Sorry Hulababy, no idea whether this is school's own scheme. My only child so no previous experience. Just a black band like a Victorian in mourning. He does seem to read very well even though he has a bit of a Brooklyn pronunciation (ie. de cat's up da tree; da body's in da bag etc) We live in in SE England.

[Hulababy]

Black must be there own scheme I think. I would go and ask the teacher.

[lovecheese]

.....(their)....

[mychatnickname]

Give us the title and I bet we can find its book band.

[taffetacat]

This has puzzled me. My DS is apparently on Stage 12 and it is pink.

Stage 11 was apparently beige.

[thebelletolls]

Mychatnickname - Snail Trails was the ORT one and the Boy who cried Wolf was Oxford Literacy Web. I think you're right, I should ask the teacher Hulababy. What a strange business this is - one day he's reading Asterix, Winnie-the-Pooh and Babar, the next it's Mr Men, and another day he's looking over my shoulder at the newspaper. Maybe it's like wanting poetry and colour supplements at different times depending on my mood?

[Hulababy]

lovecheese - oops. Promise that I do definitely know the difference between there, their and they're. Just when typing sometimes by brain isn;t fully engaged to th same speed as my fingers type :) I do teach the correct spellings in class and to my DD. I don';t need teaching personally though, honest - I do know!

[peroni]

Have a look at www.readingchest.co.uk/book-bands - there is lots of info about book bands and reading stages etc.

[mychatnickname]

Snail Trails looks to be stage 8/ year 2 term 3 which would be about purple book band.

[thebelletolls]

Thanks so much for these last couple of posts. They both seem to answer my query.

[seeker]

"What a strange business this is - one day he's reading Asterix, Winnie-the-Pooh and Babar, the next it's Mr Men, and another day he's looking over my shoulder at the newspaper. Maybe it's like wanting poetry and colour supplements at different times depending on my mood?"

I think this is the most profound and useful thing anyone has ever said on a "reading levels" thread!

So long as they are reading lots of different things at home and at school it really, really doean'tmatter about the formal levels. And sometimes, reading something really easy is just perfect - it builds their confidence and they learn about reading for pleasure because there is no "work" involved.

[lovecheese]

Hulababy, I'm sorry, couldn't resist.

[princessparty]

I think there is a colour scheme called cliff Moon that some schools use or used to use.I think that has black in it

[mychatnickname]

Very well said Seeker. Very much agree.

[Lydwatt]

so do I seeker, very well said!

[lovecheese]

Don't think I could let my child read a book called "Snail Trails" without sniggering.