After level 6 reading book ??? What next?

[Cranberrywensleydale]

Not so much an AIBU - more a can you help!? And posting here as other boards tend to be slllloooow.

Son is finished the level / phase 6 reading books we have at home. School say 'now it's free reading' and offering no advice on what book should I can get DC (age 6) now. Any recommendations for books just up from level 6???? Any reaaaally basic chapter books with pictures out there???? Are there any reading series for this level??? We have done songbird and biff, chip and kipper which seem to stop at level 6?

Thanks for any help :)

Anyone?

Level 6 as in Orange? Lots of levels after this? Your library will have later bands / lots of 'first readers' simple chapter books and longer stories with pictures still - but your son's school must still be sending a book home / helping out with choices? If not I would not be impressed.

Bump

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=128706&catalogId=10051 just search a website like this or go to the library. Ours has a big selection of "first readers" books.

Thanks Ricstar - can you recommend any titles of the first reader chapter books (yes, I am not impressed with school at the moment! That's another post!)

You're over thinking OP! If he's a free reader just get whatever he enjoys! Best way to build skills is through enjoyment.

DD (7) is not yet classified as a free reader but we read Harry Potter and David Williams etc. I don't bother much with the dull books school send home which are too easy anyway!! Just help your son develop a love of reading

Biff chip kipper etc are part of the Oxford Reading Tree series. They go up to level 11. So see if you can find some level 7 books. I'm very surprised at being a free reader after level 6, at our school they only free read after level 10 as a minimum, sometimes after about level 13 depending on the child (different reading series go higher than ORT)

I'm not sure what they mean, there are still lots of bands after that

www.readingchest.co.uk/book-bands

Thanks all - more help than school in just 5 mins of posting! I will investigate higher levels - didn't know it went higher than 6! (you'd have thought school might have said - grrrrr!)

We're on level 10. I understand that they're onto normal books in the next couple of levels

Pop along to the local library and let him pick what he fancies?

Do you mean phase 6 of letters and sounds?

Old school but what about Roald Dahl, some of them are quite short like the twits.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, the school my son goes to has a completely different order for the colour bands. It's to stop competitiveness apparently !

My ds has just turned 7 and is on the verge of being classed a "rainbow reader". He enjoys the Dirty Bertie books, The Bad Guys, Roald Dahl and David Walliams (we take it in turns to read paragraphs or pages).

Have a look for some Early Readers. I've picked DD some My Little Pony ones for £1 each from B&M recently but they do different titles too. Also, try Poundland, they have some lovely books if you search through and definitely give the library a look.

Thanks all - since posting, following your feedback, have now managed to order to level 7 to 11 book sets from the book people! THANKS! Mumsnet is great

For starter chapter books I would suggest Flat Stanley, Dirty Bertie, Horrid Henry and even some Roald Dahl and David Walliams.

Tintin. Enid Blyton.

DD was reading the Oxford Reading Tree Project X: Alien Adventure books at home. A bit more interesting than Biff, Chip & Kipper but benefitted from lots of colour and visual interest, alongside being banded. I got them at a reasonable price from Red House Books.

I'm surprised the school can't supply any books above level 6, ORT have loads of levels above that. DD was on turquoise (level 7 I think) before her school switched to Accelerated Reader and now she's free reading within her book level. To be honest she was so bored with Biff, Chip & Kipper that it actually stunted her reading.

We also bought a set of 'Early Reader' books, contained a mix of authors and books, including the likes of Horrid Henry. Again, had illustrations etc which were ideal for DD.

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?productId=509685&catalogId=10051&searchTerm=project+x we have these but also usbourne / lado bird type books from library. Dd is not quite up to chapter books yet but will read them with me.

Great Ricstar and purple - the project x: alien adventure books are some I have just this second ordered :) :)

After dd1 finished the level 6 songbirds we got a lot of use out of this set of Usbourne books, as well as two World of Reading sets of star wars books and a set of superhero books.

I agree that the colours go on for longer than you can possibly imagine. We are currently on topaz with several more to go despite dd1 being able to read anything she picks up.

Just to add to anyone who has books outgrown by their children- don't send them to the charity shop, offer them to schools. When I had a clear out of my teenage sons books I put them on freecycle and a school librarian was desperate for them. They have no budget at all now.

My yr 1 boys are loving project x alien adventures they start on band 7 and go up to about 13 i think by the end of the second set. They have been the first books they really want to keep reading.

I’d ignore all the levels stuff. Different schools use different things so you’re often not comparing like with like.

Go to your local library and see what the librarians recommmend. Or ask the school librarian (if there is one?). Good bookshops also usually have staff in the know, so another port of call. Failing all that, try Amazon recommendations!

This explains a lot. DD is 7 and a good reader but still not a free reader. She's on level 14! The school seems to have them read all books in every band so it's taking forever. We're reading Harry Potter together but I'm sure she'd read independently more willingly if it wasn't still ORT books.