AIBU to think "reading age" assessments are a waste of time?

[NotaDisneyMum]

It strikes me that reading age tests treat DC's like nothing more than performing dogs!

Love that way of remembering rhythm.

Does every child have these test and what age do they have them done.

Mc They are done every year, around February time, in state schools in England.

Path thanks for that, I always struggle with rhythm

OP my son (4) has had the reading assesment done to establish what reading age he has. It was also a "fill in the blanks" type so also measures some level of comprehension. I thought it was useful.

I also would like to add, that when you are a reader for a child during their SATs you are not allowed to explain anything - you just simply "read" the question aloud.

And obviously children don't get readers for their English SAT's (or that would defeat the purpose)

My dd1 also had a reading age test done when she was 5 and in P1, and it very much tested her comprehension as well as her reading ability. I believe she was given a sheet of words which she had to read and then circle another word which meant the same, from a choice of four or five.

However...it has proved to be of no benefit whatsoever . She reads voraciously at home anyway and there is no facility at school to differentiate her reading book .

I wouldn't say it was learning by rote. I can read obviously but that doesn't mean I understand everything I read like highly complex science journals but I still need to be able to read to allow me to find out what the words mean.

Ok - so if used correctly, maybe IABU; but when highlighted independently as evidence of a DCs academic ability relative to his peers, perhaps not so much?

It was overhearing DCs bragging about their 'reading age' in the playground that led me to find out more from the school - I'm not convinced it is something that the DCs need to know, tbh and if parents are told, it should be put in context

There are lots and lots of different reading tests, which test all sorts of things.
All children seeing how far they can go along a list of tricky words does seem a bit pointless, but reading tests can be very useful in assessing reading ability (including understanding, etc) - when often a 'number' rather than a subjective comment is needed for a particular assessment. Also very useful to ascertain if a particular intervention has had any impact.... "Joe scored x at the beginning of term, then we did this intervention 3 x a week for 6 weeks. At the end of the half term he scored y" type information.

NotADisney the braggers!!!!!!!!!. Yes there are always those who think a reading test score of 130 means their child is a closet genius, and it does mean they are better / more advanced at reading. These children will often be reading books written for adults at age 13.

My school doesn't tell children or parents their reading age, it is used purely for internal assessments . However, my DS's school does tell me his.

But a positive reading age is only an indicator of a skill in that particular area - some of the children in top set Maths have reading test scores below 100, some of the children in top set English don't achieve the national average in Maths!

Swings and roundabouts.