To worry about child going down a set?

[Mabelbabelle]

My year 1 child was in the top set for reading for the whole of reception. Now she’s gone down a set to the middle one.

My concern is that she’s not progressing as she should. All the kids she was with in reception have moved into that top set so I guess she’s not progressing at the same pace.

I’m trying not to worry as I know she’s only young but it’s hard not to be a bit concerned. Is there’s anything I should be doing to make sure she realises her potential?

Read to her every day, I think it’s all you can do

I think it's very early days. I had no idea at that stage what level my children were at and how they compared to others in the same class 🤷🏻‍♀️

Just read with them but do fun stuff like kids theatre, listen to story CDs, talk about interesting things.

Some children enter school at a higher level as they have been taught at home. Some of these children are then overtaken once they are in school and everyone is being taught.
I really wouldn’t worry what group they are in in Yr 1. It is likely to change many times throughout school and won’t matter in the longer term.
Main thing is keep on reading together at home and encourage a love of books.

You can support her at home by reading every day. Both read to her and listen to her read. Go to the library and let her choose books she’s interested in. Put subtitles on tv for some programmes.
Watch documentaries so she hears more high level language.

My goodness, they have sets in year 1 and reception? And call them that?

I know they have groups in all primary schools, but they don’t call them anything like sets.

I really wouldn’t worry at all about it. They all come on at different paces at different times. You can always chat to the teacher if you’re worried but I really doubt they are.

Only year 1!

Most important thing is that you don't make her doubt herself. Children develop at different rates and she needs to be in a set where she isn't unhappily struggling to understand, but is happily getting the most out of reading at her current level.

I agree with keeping lots of fun reading going at home.

My son is more of a later developer, middle sets in the infants but started to become relatively more able at Reading in the juniors.

At secondary school I still think he's improving in his skills all the time. But he's never felt stressed or under pressure academically, so he's been able to develop at his pace.

I don’t think they call them “top set” etc but it’s pretty obvious which group is which and she’s certainly aware which set is the top one.

Read with her every day, that’s the most important thing you can do. Help her sound out words, point out writing to her when you’re out and about and get her to read it.

I’ll say too though, don’t get hung up on sets. It’s often not an indication of reading ability but more to help certain children work on specific things - so some children might need more help with phonics, some with comprehension, some with blending and so on.

I wouldn’t worry at all!! YR/1 is just not an age when you can predict future performance. My DD age 9 was in the bottom set for reading for reception and the middle set for y1. I remember worrying. She’s now top set for English and maths and is massively academic. Once they can all read and write totally fluently (say by y4) - that’s when you start seeing which children show promise when it comes to school work.

Don't worry at all. Kids aren't linear. They all learn to read. After that, how much they read for pleasure makes a huge difference

There is also a big difference in 'reading' fast but not taking the meaning in v reading slow but understanding more

There is a HUGE range of schools and a huge of test-able perceived "ability" at this extremely young age where so many children in other countries aren't even at school yet.
Not to mention that fact that children's hands and motor skills are developing at different rates so such tests are blunt guesses at the most.
And just because a max of 10 (?) children in your school are perceived in the very limited way teachers can possibly assess at this age, as "better" than your child, you are worried?
Seriously, don't be. The mere idea, when you think about it, of ranking extremely young children born between a certain September and a certain August onto different tables based on one teacher's opinion of how fast they can learn stuff? It's ludicrous really.
How can you help your child develop a life long love of learning? That's the only important thing I think.

@Mabelbabelle

I don’t think they call them “top set” etc but it’s pretty obvious which group is which and she’s certainly aware which set is the top one.

Yes, they might as well call them ‘top set’ etc. Despite labelling them as colour groups (red seems to be top quite frequently!), animal names (cheetahs, snails…), and in the case of one ds, types of penguin - emperor, king, macaroni (who knew?!), the kids are aware of the hierarchy of the groups from reception onwards.

I can’t stress how much it doesn’t matter!

My 6yos tell me they don't know who is in top sets at school. They are grouped by ability but it's a colour group.

Encourage reading of different things - signs when you are out and about, recipes, anything around you - as well as books. This will help her phonics as well as learning vocab.

Read to her as well as her reading to you, especially if stories are part of the bedtime routine. That encourages a learning of intonation and helps make reading fun, especially if you give characters different voices.

Read at home. DS found YR easy because we'd always used letter sounds at home. Y1 got more taxing and he couldn't be bothered so he went from good to struggling. We hit it hard at home, found books he enjoyed and stuck with it. He was back in the top readers by the end of Y2 and every teacher in KS2 remarked on his reading.

Some children enter school at a higher level as they have been taught at home. Some of these children are then overtaken once they are in school and everyone is being taught.

Theres a bit of this. Also children become ready read anywhere from 3 to 6. For most its between 4 &5, some summer borns just turning 4 on starting reception will potter along slowly then fly in y1 as their developmental readiness lines up with their underlying ability. Also it's a bit of a leaps thing with reading and progress isnt that even, you may find your DC suddenly improves in a few weeks. Either way its best for her to be in the right group for the progress she's making now.

The main thing she is in a group/set where she can keep up with the pace of what’s being taught without being overly stretched and so feeling anxious about that. She’s very young, keep reading with her and reassuring her of how great she’s doing. Reading and storytelling should be enjoyable after all.

I'm sure you don't let it show but it's important she doesn't know that this worries you. Keep reading to her and praising her when she's reading to you. A trip to the library every couple of weeks where she can choose her own books will help too. Overall I think it's important not to compare her to others. It doesn't help.