Slow reading progress YR2

[PeskyPiskie]

My DS is very young for his year (YR2, birthday at the end of August). He is on the blue book band (ORT level 4) how many book bands is reasonable for him to be able to go up in a year? I work full time and until this year was not at home to help with reading, now, however, I am home every night and can read with him and get his homework done. I have also signed up to the Reading Chest to help supplement the 2 books a week he gets from school. I guess really I'm after some reassurance that I can help undo the slow progress he's made so far by being rather an absent parent (and absolve myself of my parental guilt )

[redskyatnight]

Some children "click" with reading at this sort of stage. DS moved up (counting on fingers) 5 book bands (from Green to White) in just over a term because he suddenly just "got" reading. Not to say your DS will do that, but he's still got plenty of time for his reading to improve.

[littlemiss06]

My little girl is really behind with her reading, she's yr 2 and only on red band, stage 2 which she has been on for over 12 months, I feel she has improved but is by no means reading these fluently, we read every night but it just doesn't click however I am hoping that things will improve this year, she goes off for help in a small group to learn 'tricky words' she tells me so she is getting more support and she has a new book everyday. Have you spoke to the teacher? I don't personally feel that stage 4 is too behind but if its concerning you its worth chatting to the teacher

[PeasandCucumbers]

My DS is now in Yr 3 (and an autumn baby so quite old in his year) and reading has been hard work. We are finally beginning to see some real improvement and he can sometimes read passages accurately and fluently. I always think of a phrase my midwife said to me - this is a marathon not a sprint, and with support I really think that they all get there in the end. Keep chipping away at home and talk to his teachers for suggestions as to the best way to support him, I'm sure that he will get there but it feels like a long road

[DameKewcumber]

Our year 2 teacher - who is fab and I love her, suggests whatever level they are at reading for 15 minutes everyday. I wouldn't worry about how many bands just focus on anything he likes reading. DS enjoyed decoding supermarket signs!

[simpson]

Check out the Oxford owl website too, it is full of free ebooks to read online...

[JackJacksmummy]

My DS is July born, year 2 and also on red level of ort. And struggles to read every word except I and a. He can sound out some words like dad but not bad - that comes out as dab or other concoctions of the b/d mix ups.

My other 2 were free readers from year 1. He is suspect asd (going through assessment now) and I also suspect dyslexic but they won't assess for this yet.
He is definitely the lowest in his class

[sazale]

Jackjacksmummy, your ds sounds just like mine. He is in year 1 and can't really read. He mixes up the d/b and p/q and hasn't progressed off the first sounds that he started on in F1 (nursery). He is also due to be assessed for ASD later this month (I have an older dd 13 dx ASD/dyslexia) and school have said they think he may be dyslexic. However he has a phonological speech disorder which his SALT says can impact literacy in a similar way to dyslexia and that he may struggle until he gets the processes right in his speech as its the same process bit reading processes come after speech is fully developed.

[bowerbird]

OP this was me last year, full of anxiety with my August-born DD! I'd like to offer the following:

Please don't guilt yourself out about it. You've got to work, this sometimes means you don't spend as much time with your family as you'd like, but kids can struggle regardless of their parents work situation.

At this stage, children can make huge leaps very quickly. It's not a steady upward curve. My daughter went from still struggling at the end of Y2 to walking into Y3 in September a free reader.

The best advice I received and what I'd like to pass on to you is this: The most important thing is that books and stories are a pleasure, not a chore. If that means that your child reads picture books while others are on to chapter books, so be it. Be sure to do lots of reading TO your DS, perhaps asking him to read a word or two, or a small sentence. If you can get him to the library regularly so he can choose books, great. But it should be all about fun and the joy of stories. Don't lose sight of that through anxiety at his reading levels.

Good luck.

[crazygracieuk]

My experience is that reading progress isn't linear and that children don't stay on each reading band for an equal amount of time. For example my average ability y2 son spent 2 terms on red but 3 weeks on blue. I've always felt that his teachers have had him on the right band and that the biggest challenge was getting used to longer books rather than the actual content and reading which he seemed to pick up in phonics lessons.
Do you get a variety of reading schemes? Personally I think that some schemes are harder than others with the same band but that might be due to my spn's reading style.
My son is y2 and his teacher has given me an end of year reading target so maybe there is a method?

[purplehouse]

If you are religious with reading chest and do it every day incl. holidays, I would think you could get him to level 8/9 by the end of year 2.

[PeskyPiskie]

Thank you everyone for your words of support. I have signed him up to Reading Chest which he seems to be really pleased about - the books arrived and so "he" got post not me and a sticker chart etc. He has now read 2 of those books so is eagerly waiting for the new ones to arrive. I'm just really pleased he wants to read at all. I will remember that it is a marathon not a sprint - I think I need to take this as my mantra for life in general. Thank you all again.

[PastSellByDate]

Hi PeskyPiskie:

Like many have said - don't be too hard on yourself and pat yourself on the back that you've rejigged your schedule to help support your DS.

Like DameKewCumber suggested - try to just consistently be reading with your DS. I'm not clear where you're at - it may be he has all the phonic sounds, but still struggles to blend them all together when sounding out words more than one syllable. This stage was a real stumbling block for both my DDs.

So I would do this:

Night 1) Read through book and help with 'tricky words' - but make a point of noting tricky word that is used more than 2-3 times for next evening. Also check that they understand what the new words mean - this can also be a problem.

Night 2-3) Read through book again, but this time DC reads all 'easy words' and we target 1 or 2 tricky words. Help first time and then really build up on next time tricky word is used - 'OK here it is again - do you remember how you said this....' Then really cheer and praise like mad when they get it right.

Night 4) Have a think - if your DC is fed up with the book, go for an old favourite - or ask that they read a few pages, and then on to old favourite.

Night 5) Read through again - but this time do different pages - so have him read two in a row, then you read one, then he reads 3 in a row, etc.. - mix it up - so he isn't always reading the same passage he knows well.

We'd usually only have a book for about 5 nights and then there would be a change - sometimes 2 a week - but that basically would get us through.

Boredom can be a real problem right now - so try to do a bit of school book each night, but do allow some 'free choice' of reading. The important thing is to be reading.

Free on-line books:

Oxford Owl: www.oxfordowl.co.uk/findbook
Mumsnet: www.mumsnet.com/learning/ebooks

Don't be snobby about what he enjoys reading - if kids magazines/ comic books are his thing, as long as he's extending those reading skills don't fight it.

Also - if you feel the issue is his 'sounding out skills' (phonics) - look into some jolly phonics workbooks - available from most major bookstores/ news agents.

HTH