7 nearly 8 ORT book band what's yours on please :)

[Windyjuly]

I know, I know, I know!
We can't compare, everybody is different etc but it's a taboo subject and I have a child struggling to learn.

So if you don't mind sharing I was hoping to get small sample survey roughly of what this age child's on.

Mine is on stage 7, book band 7, turquoise, Oxford reading scheme.

She's doing really well with the longer books (just started), they don't seem to be harder words, just longer stories?

I am hoping to get some idea of what to aim for, for when she goes back, she is year 2 and will be going into year 3.
Thank you

It will vary massively on ability but also on the school, some schools stop at White level and others go on much further.

Honestly there is no need to compare. It's not about how your child is progressing in comparison to others it's about how they're processing against where they started. Just focus on your own child and read as much as possible.
I can't help anyway I teach Y6 and we don't use ORT

It's also very much dependant on the school.
DS2 walked out of one school near the end of year 3 on purple books, and 2 weeks later new school put him up about 5 levels.

Have you seen the chart near the bottom of here?

One was lv6/7. Now in Yr4 and can read most things she wants to.
Younger DD is coming to end of Yr 2, and working her way through a box of books levels 10-12 that I bought over lockdown (as is elder sister!)

Officially I think they are both on the same level, but elder DD has more stamina.

DD has Finished ORT and can take her own books from home. It only "clicked" a few months ago though. Try not to worry, just keep reading little and often.

Around thank you, I am suspecting most will be around the level 10 mark.

I'm a LKS2 teacher but have taught across primary and think the average year group against colours in the pp's link above are pretty ambitious (and I'm at a school that got 100% children to the expected level in every Y6 SAT last year so high achieving). Turquoise for end of Y2 is absolutely fine, pretty average I'd say.

Wow really subordinate!
On the ort own graph it's very much lower end of scale, age 5 to 6 really...

Also I know from my other dc who was free reader in year 2 that our school level doesn't reflect the actual ability. With the older dc, it was up to us to keep her actual level going.

With this one she has struggled.

Schools do use levels differently (and indeed teachers within the same school). At one point my younger DD had a teacher that 'didn't believe in reading levels' and the books home were confidence boosters. They were reading a lot more complicated stuff in school. Their current school insists on the same book being kept a week, reading every night. And reading every book in order. Mine hate it as they find the books boring the first time through.

I was told it's an average progression of 3 levels a year. But some obviously are a lot slower to pick it up- my elder daughter was still on Pink in Yr 1. So finishing Yr2 in 6 was correct progress.

My sons' school said age expected was white level at the end of Year 2. Eldest achieved that just. Youngest is on turquoise at the end of Year 1 so should be fine to achieve that too. But reading is much less of a struggle for him.

I agree with some others progress is more important than level. My older one reads at the lower end of age expected, but is making solid progress and his confidence has grown immensely. What he can read is also very topic specific as he reads mostly non-fiction. Most learning also isn't usually linear progress - there are plateaus and then breakthroughs in understanding.

Also you need to find out from her teacher how she is doing - if she is reading those books fine, does she need to work on her reading comprehension not fluency of reading or have they just not reassessed them recently?

I think reading levels are quite political in schools so you have to take them with a pinch of salt. DS and DN1 were on free readers by the end of year 1 but DN2 was much further behind as school decided to not move children up the levels as quickly. This is no reflection on DN2’s ability, she just happened to come a long a few years after DS and DN1.

My son on a very low ORT level at school and can read much more than the stuff he is given. School will not advance him as there are not enough children at same level that they can have group discussions .. the focus is on comprehension and beginning critical thinking and beginning to form opinion and justify them. So we read what we want at home and I leave school to do the other stuff which I think is really important longer term

My son has just turned 7 - year 2 and on level 5 although should move to level 6 just before the summer holidays.

That is a huge boost for him as he started year 2 on level 2 after regressing in year 1 and we are currently undergoing ADHD assessment and concentration, attention & focus are way off. While he's not exactly where he should be I'm happy we are making progress after a bumpy year 1 and he excels in other areas especially sports!!

Having two older daughters who were both free readers by the end of year one it's been a worrying time but so long as he achieves to the best of HIS ability that's all that matters!!

DS is 6, nearly 7, but in y2 going into y3.
Before lockdown he was still on red (so age 4-5 reception level). We’ve worked on reading more than the set work in lockdown and we’re onto chapter books (Horrid Henry rather than Harry Potter, but still a huge improvement)
Hopefully his other work will improve now he can finally read instructions!

@user1476542526

I think my dd has something like adhd, gets bored very easily, can't sit still.

How many, that's incredible progress!!

That's amazing!! How did you achieve that!
Dd has been reading her scheme books, and I think we are getting a breakthrough
.. The school before lock down didn't want her to leave stage 5. But I'm not sure if that's because of the phonics test?

They will have to do much more independent work in year 3,read instructions, do work alone, I'm really worried dd won't be able to do this. She's already unengaged!! I'm praying if I can give her this reading boost as you have done, not only can she hold her own more but also she will understand more and be engaged!

@Howmanysleepsnow

Why do you think he was on such low band when he's now on chapter books?
Has he just got it?

@Windyjuly he had a very slow start! He was under SALT in reception/ start of Y1 and often used the Wrong start and end sounds of words. Even if he decoded a word, he think it was wrong as he didn’t recognise the word (eg to him gate was bate aged 5).
He was getting stressed and not wanting to try, and also very conscious he couldn’t do schoolwork independently like his peers as he couldn’t read it. He resisted doing home reading and used to get really upset. Before lockdown I met with his teacher and she offered to lend him a Horrid Henry book to read with me as a “reward” for doing his reading book. Because it was sold to him as a special treat from her, he started reading his ORT book to win his reward... which was actually more reading practice!
We started out I’d read to him but he had to do the bits in speech marks (not many on a page and often easier words). Then we progressed to alternate sentences, then alternate pages (he still insists I re-read to him when we get to the bottom of the page as apparently it’s better in my voice!). That’s where we’re at now, but he’s started choosing to read a couple of pages to himself occasionally and will also read Dogman books to himself in bed at night after tuck in. He’s just started (finally!) reading instructions/ labels/ signs to me the last couple of weeks and even reads his set schoolwork now (though needs a lot of reassurance it’s right).
I think it just took a long time to click, which wasn’t helped by an awareness he was behind, a lack of confidence and rather boring school books putting him off.
I’m still quite apprehensive about how he’ll cope in juniors in September.

Just noticed a lot of typos in my post, sorry! I promise I CAN normally read and write!

How, that's brilliant! You must be so relieved and even getting the first letters mixed up! So confusing!

Keeping the reading material exciting is key. For my first we started with the beautifully illustrated Ottoline series books, very small short chapters.
Roald dhal of course and Mr gum (hilarious).

Then she really got into spider wick chronicles and lemony snicket. Then how to train your dragon series...

No 2 however wasn't interested in those books at all! Nor story cd, me reading etc.

With 1st the progress was relatively smooth and once she took flight, that was it, she flew.

No 2 seems to progress but then regress a little.. Not since lock down however because we do quite a bit everyday.
Beginning of lockdown she was stopping and starting over stage 6...now she can read a whole stage 7 in one go... Sounding out only a few words.

I can't see anywhere that describes the different things behind each level eg 7 to me seems more about stamina than new words.

In which case, I could read half and then go to stage 8.

My dd is also very conscious now that she is way behind the rest! It will crush her two return on lower levels, children do talk and are cruel.

With my elder daughter, she had some good friends who helped her. I noticed this at Beavers one night... One of the others just quietly read anything she needed to her. She was never treated negatively. There will be other children of a similar level.

Around that's so sweet!

I don't think any child has been horrible to mine per se but she herself knows she is behind and I know she tells me that dc are noticing another child who has issues.
My dd really is at the bottom so I can't imagine many other dc being as behind.

Once they get it they just do so I'm hoping for that click but I'm also keen to get her on the right band for her because our school is funny about book bands.

I really wouldn’t worry.

It’s not about reading levels so much as understanding.

For example, my Dd who is year one, age 6 can read anything.

She can pick up a Harry Potter book and read it perfectly - but she can’t comprehend what’s going on. If you ask her what’s happened in the paragraph she’s just that second finished reading she can’t tell you. She can just read the words.

Very true Billy!!

It's a strange thing, reading, isn't it!
And how different schools do it.

I do think it's v important to have some gage however on where other dc are.
It was only by chance I found out dd was infact really struggling.

That was by finding out how she was with her peers. At that point of was able to kick into action because she is v bright and shouldn't be where she was.

We really do need some honesty about where dc are.