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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think a mistake has been made??

56 replies

katemaryandash · 04/10/2022 15:59

My daughter is turning 9 next week and she came home from school saying she had a test with her teacher today and she got 84 questions out of 100 right and that her teacher told her she has a reading age of 13 years and 4 months.

I know they do reading age tests but last year I think hers was maybe a year above her age. AIBU in thinking there is a mistake and it's not possible she is reading at an age four years above hers?

OP posts:
Cheerybigbottom · 04/10/2022 16:57

Is your daughters school doing accelerated reader? They have tests to determine reading age. My son was always years above his actual age but it never mattered, he was just given choice to read in challenging but still content appropriate texts. They test every term and it may go up or down a few points (ZPD score) but it still doesn't matter much.

m00rfarm · 04/10/2022 17:02

Mine had exactly the same (just checked his old reports) He is now 21 and has not read a book in years. Did not even read his English lit books for GCSE. Just not interested. His spelling is exceptional and he can create a pretty good business email without thinking about it. Massively underachieved his GCSEs (got 9 I think but for at his school he would not have been allowed to stay on for 6th form) but is now just starting level 4 accountancy exams and earning a great salary.

chilliesandspices · 04/10/2022 17:03

Even if it's wrong, does it matter? Let her feel good about herself and hope it gets her reading more.

User65412 · 04/10/2022 17:05

Teacher here. Depends on what assessment they used but reading age should be approached with caution. Some assessments judge reading age on decoding only, not on understanding (though of course a high decoding age is also very beneficial!). Most children's coding age is quite good and it creates real problems when they have excellent word reading but don't understand anything they've read!
A reading age like your DD's is of course great but make sure she's understanding what she's read as well!

omarcoming · 04/10/2022 17:06

This happened to me as a child, I'm autistic and had a reading age of 13 when I was 7.

I'm absolutely hopeless with maths and science though.

Homewardbound2022 · 04/10/2022 17:12

Lougle · 04/10/2022 16:13

I don't think it necessarily correlates with reading itself though. DD3's reading teacher said 'Oooh DD3 must love to read and she must read a lot!' Nope. She hates reading and will do anything other than pick up a book by choice. She's just got good vocabulary and comprehension. For many kids that comes through reading a wide range of books, but not all.

That was me aged 7.
No recollection of reading books but always came top in spelling and vocab.

Pumperthepumper · 04/10/2022 17:15

Totally possible but it’s not the reading age that’s important, it’s the comprehension age - which she should also have been given, depending on the test. I’d check with her teacher.

woodstocky · 04/10/2022 17:18

My dd is very similar at age 8, but never reads at home. I honestly can't get her to pick up a book. Apparently she reads a lot at school but you'd never know it!

ShadowoftheFall · 04/10/2022 17:18

Also me at that age. And we had a ‘knockout’ spelling event where you went on doing increasingly difficult spellings until you got one wrong and sat down. Eventually they gave up, I never did spell one wrong. No prize though, which upset me greatly! Now, of course I do a minimum wage part time job, and no one seems to be hiring good spellers.

Cheeselog · 04/10/2022 17:20

13 years and 4 months seems weirdly specific for a reading age, surely it would just be 13?

LondonQueen · 04/10/2022 17:21

My son is 4 is has a reading age of 86, that's nothing!
In all seriousness it is likely accurate, well done your daughter!

Bloodybridget · 04/10/2022 17:26

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 04/10/2022 16:50

I recall being told I had a 'colouring-in' age of five when I was actually twenty-six and a half. I regret not doing that art 'O' level now.

Still it won't stop me applying for the rôle of Chancellor of the Exchequer - which must be coming up soon.

That's so funny! But how did this happen, were you applying for something that required your colouring-in ability to be assessed?

stayathomegardener · 04/10/2022 17:28

My DD's Ed Psyc report at 11 said she had the reading age of a 16 year old.

Except she couldn't comprehend or sustain that for more than a few minutes and avoided reading at all costs.

I'm not sure the reading age statement means what it says.

PinkArt · 04/10/2022 17:30

I think mine was 14 when I was 8. It was definitely very advanced, which is mad considering I'm pretty sure I have mild undiagnosed dyslexia.
We had the same @ShadowoftheFall and I got knocked out on 'choir'. I still remember how annoyed I was as I knew all of the words beyond it, I just thought that choir was pronounced chore.

fallfallfall · 04/10/2022 17:42

This must be very common, I’ve heard it many times especially in girls.
But like others have pointed out it means very little in the bigger scheme of things.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 04/10/2022 17:48

I think my dd had one of a couple of years older

mam0918 · 04/10/2022 17:50

This shits all made up anyway, theres no way to say people should be 'this' good at 'this' age, we all develope wildly different and have different skills.

At the same age of 14 - my mam (autistic) could and did read 5-6 books a day, I (dyslexic) would be pushing the limits to read 1 book in a year, my DS (no issues) doesn't read at all, would rather play video games.

My DS has always hated English lang/lit, was slow to learn to read and always bottom of the class (great at STEM, he just hates English for some reason). He has broke the middle of the pack the last few years with the teachers pushing him but hardly 'advanced' on his english tests, dispite this history his last reading test suddenly said he is 4 years ahead of his age and would be ready to take his GCSE now, his GCSEs are several years away.

Pinch of salt is definately needed with these things lol.

mam0918 · 04/10/2022 17:53

Cheeselog · 04/10/2022 17:20

13 years and 4 months seems weirdly specific for a reading age, surely it would just be 13?

no they do months aswell, they are oddly specific which is what makes it more farcical to me... like a month makes any difference for the majority of people.

Quartz2208 · 04/10/2022 17:54

If it is the accelerated reader test it is in within the normal range albeit at the top end. I would say a handful of Year 5 are similar and then a handful are under the age requirements and the majority fall between the 2.

It is though as much about comprehension of the tests than reading - so answering questions.

PatsyJStone · 04/10/2022 17:55

At 8 I had a reading age of 13. Many moons ago so I have no idea how it was worked out. Was reading adult books by 11/12 as the young/teenage stuff just wasn't keeping me interested.

ShadowoftheFall · 04/10/2022 18:50

@PinkArt oh, how annoying! There’s something on Facebook that says something like don’t criticise someone who mispronounces a word, it means they learned it from reading.

itssquidstella · 04/10/2022 18:59

Totally possible. I had a reading age of 16 in Y5, aged 9/10.

I peaked early 😂

CaptainMum · 05/10/2022 06:46

It is possible. I would aim to cultivate a love of reading instead though. Go for any books she'll read and enjoy rather than older ones because of the test.

Fallulah · 05/10/2022 06:50

The test we use gives the highest range as 15+. I’ve got year 7s who are already 15+. Usually they read a lot at home. It is reported in years and months.

ChampagneCamping · 05/10/2022 06:51

this happens quite often if a child is a book worm. Mine was and always had similar. Literacy has always been her strength, maths less so