Free readers - What is it?

[CeciC]

I have been reading some threats about kids being free readers in Y1 or even in YRec.
What do they mean with that? That they read with no help or any book that they want?
TIA

[clutteredup]

Free readers usually means they have finished the reading scheme and are now readt to choose books for themselves, never come across in in YrRec or Yr1 , this would be exceptional for very advanced reader.

[clutteredup]

Wouldn't be a threat

[gordongrumblebum]

It's no big deal. Most children catch up in Y2, whatever you hear on MN.

[Hulababy]

I assume threats = threads :)

It means different things in different schools.

It means that the child can chose it's own reading book, and not have to select from levelled books or colour boxes, etc.

However, in some schools this is only after they have finished every book within a huge school reading scheme. In other schools it may once a child can mange level 5 ORT.

Even when a free reader a child may well need a little help with new, complex words or phrases. They should also still be listened to reading out loud.

[piprabbit]

My DDs school has two sorts of free reader.
There are the children who (as clutteredup says) have finished the reading scheme and are choosing books from the school library.
Then there are the younger children (typically Y1) who are progressing well on the reading scheme and who are allowed to choose books from a 'classroom library' of chapter books which have been pre-selected by the teacher as suitable for that age group. These children may then shift back on to the reading scheme after a little break or continue with reading scheme books alongside their free reading.

[alliwant]

In my school we follow Oxford Reading Tree scheme and it means they have worked their way through the colour bands and can essentially have a crack at all new words, know all the common spelling patterns/digraphs and are able to infere meaning. If they are really puzzled by a new word they will have a sensible guess at the meaning. It also means that they can interpret fiction and non fiction texts. Unusual for children so young ime. Hope that helps

[CeciC]

Thanks for the replies. And sorry for mistakes in spelling.
In my DDs school I have never heard of anyone being free reader, not that I am that interested on what the other kids are doing. But a friend with a DD in another school, was very happy when her daughter was a free reader. Both our dds are in Y5.
Thanks againg

[meditrina]

I'd take it to mean that the child had completed whatever reading scheme the school had in place (ours goes up to lime), and chooses their individual reading books themselves (either from classroom selection or whole library, or from home).

I wouldn't take it to mean that the child no longer read to staff, discussed their reading, or that in any way it was an end to learning how to appreciate literature.

[IndigoBell]

Some schools don't do free readers and instead have scheme books all the way up to Y6..........

[Runoutofideas]

It definitely means different things in different schools. Dd1 is a free reader (yr1) but their reading scheme only went up to level 7. She gets to choose books from a specific shelf which are mainly young chapter books, some with occasional pictures. All seem to have been chosen for age-appropriate content, so she's not really choosing completely "freely" as such.

I think in her school they are called a "free reader" when they can pretty much read whatever is put in front of them and have a good stab at understanding it. DD now only gets stuck on words which she hasn't come across, either spoken, or written before, or when something is out of her range of experience eg a recent school book had reference to "gender stereotyping" and while she could read the words, she had no idea what it meant until we talked about it. At home she choses books such as Secret Sevens or Roald Dahls which she reads in her head.

[CeciC]

Thanks for the replies.
My DDS' school must be the ones that does have a reading scheme up to Y6. They can choose which book to read out of the level they are in the scheme. I know my DD2, in Y1, they can't choose the books. The TA follows a list of books in the level they are in. My DD1, Y5, can choose out the ones in the level she is in.

[Elibean]

They don't really use the expression 'free reader' in dds' school, but children progress through the book bands (within which they are always free to choose from a range) until they are able to read/decode/comprehend well enough to move on to library books. In infant school (usually Y2, some Y1s) they are helped to choose their library books, but they have a lot of scope for choice - in practice, it usually means vetoing anything wildly unsuitable.
In Junior school, they choose their own.