Reading schemes- how quick should they move up?

[unicorn]

Only ask coz dd(2) is on the Oxford Reading Tree.. as are pals from dif schools but they all seem to be at dif stages.
My daughter is in reception and on stage 2- her pal is on 4 someone else in year 1 is on stage 7! but it sounds like other schools get through more books per week. She only had 2 this holiday- her pal had 4.
I know she's young but I don't want her to get bored.. and these books don't seem to stretch her much (she has lots of others at home).
Any Teachers out there? What do you think?

Can I move to Lara's school?!

But seriously, in my dd1's reception class the children were never not once, ever heard to read by the teacher. It was all done by classroom assistants who lacked the knowledge and the oomph to assess the child's level and give appropriate books. This business of handing out sheets is a common one too, tho' Reception seems a bit early for it -- it's a lazy way of appearing to give extra work to get troublesome parents off the teacher's back, IMO.

As a veteran of these sorts of encounters I would do the following: make an appointment to see the child's teacher. Ask for her assessment of your child's reading ability, ideally taking in something that you've been reading with her at home to show what you think she can do, and ask if there is any reason why your child can't be put up a level or two.

If you get fobbed off or they say all the right things but nothing changes, then you have two choices. You can either up the ante by going to see the head and making a big noisy fuss about it, in the knowledge that it may not achieve anything apart from getting you marked out as a pushy mum (I'm not saying you are, just that this may be the school's perception!).

Alternatively, you can regard the school as a necessary affliction where your dd gets to improve her social skills while you get on with the serious business of teaching her to read (and write, and add up...) at home.

I know this sounds very cynical, but in many state schools, depending on the makeup of the class and the skill/dedication of the teacher, the choice really is that stark.

ta frogs.. Given that she is reading other books at home with me I guess I will be doing the latter..
but think I will keep an eye on things in year 1.
It is annoying though I mean it really isn't that difficult to change books is it...? maybe I should ask for 2 books a time instead of 1

As an ex teacher I would say that if your child can read all or nearly all the words in a book, they are on too easy a level. As a parent I would add that I don't think it is sufficient to say she reads other things at home. The school should be meeting her individual needs and if you feel she is being held back by the level she is on, I would recommend making a fuss. Also agree that getting her to do a book review is ridiculous, although don't forget when she is reading to question her about her understanding of the text. This is important too, as well as reading the words. Why won't the school bump her up a level or two? Have you specifically asked them to consider this?

lonelymum, no I haven't asked them to bump her up- fear of being the "pushy/competitive mum" I think... also speaking to parents with older siblings they say that it is not school policy... (ridiculous i know)
Got me thinking now though...
Also what happens over the summer hols... do they get lots of books or none?

Unicorn - it is difficult to know what best to do isn't it?

FWIW I felt exactly like you with ds1 - not wanting to be pushy mum - and mostly he learned to read at home using materials gleaned from car boot sales, ebay and the library. DS2 is learning to read at a superbly resourced school. Someone listens to him read most days and he changes his book then too. And he is regularly bumped up a stage when he's getting fluent on a particular level.

But I wouldn't say there is any real difference between them in the speed with which their reading has progressed, and the solidity of their literacy skills. As long as you are supportive at home and offer encouragement and access to suitable materials then I'm sure she'll do well.

That's not a defence of your school's approach btw.

Are book review sheets in reception really ridiculous?

It's what was offered for us as extension for ds & we've been doing them. I thought the idea was to help narrow the gap between very advanced reading and rather emergent writing. Feel a bit of a mug now.

Mmmmm - I'd give that question a big yes. I wouldn't dream of giving a child a book review in reception!! There are plenty of fab books around these days for young able readers - and there's all the discussion and understanding that goes with a story ( not every one of course!). Still feeling depressed by all the posts of awful teachers/reading - these children are so young, WHY are these people like this???!!
Batters, the reports are finished - hurray!! But, you honestly shouldn't feel a fraud for asking why the teacger isn't hearing your able DD read. ALL children regardless of ability have the absolute right to be heard/taught/assessed by a properly qualified professional - your child's teacher! Please go in and talk to her - the school really needs to know that they are letting their able readres down. And if they are doing it in this area, is there anything else that's amiss?

Well my DD has now been given her THIRD book to rereview, IE not all children in her group have grasped the vocab. She now won't read the book more than twice, and after that will only review the vocab, Next letter into teacher tommorow asking for Library books as well as reading in class on order to kepp her motivated, Am doubtful that this will get me or more importantly DD anywhere, but I don't care if she thinks that I'm a pushy parent, coz I think that she's an untterly crap teacher!!

My daughter is doing ORT, is in year 1 and on level 9, which she seems to have no problem with at all. She is pretty fluent, and reading with expression, but fairly average for her class I guess. Her ORT books are changed twice a week. Every evening she also takes home a book of her choice from the classroom, and once a week has a library book (her choice - can be anything).

Her teacher or the teaching assistant hear all the children read, one-to-one, first thing in the morning every morning, so that each child is read with 3 times a week. Mind you that is the private sector, and a class of just 15. I can't believe that some children aren't read with at ALL in school - how do they expect them to learn? By osmosis?

I am a year 1 teacher, and to be honest a lot of what I have seen here really horrifies me!!!!
I think children should have experience of a wide variety of books including non-fiction and poetry. - Not just ORT!Boys in particular favour non-fiction books - and the skills required for reading / understanding these types of books are just as valid as phonetically sounding out every word they read in ORT - the biggest turn off for reading I can think of!!!!

As for forcing a child to read every book in a level!!!! That is just lazy teaching! Surely the teacher needs to assess the children (I assess every half term) to make sure they are reading at the correct level. We have book bands - which contain a mixture of schemes including ORT, but also include non-fiction, poetry, and at the higher levels, play scripts! If a child is finding the book too easy (the guide lines state that a child should be reading over 95% of the words correctly on an unseen text in order for them to progress to the next level)then they move up.
Reading is really hard to organise in a class of 30, but in KS1 it is just about the most important part of learning. My class are all heard once a week by me and once by the TA, both times, individual comments go in home-school reading diary. -
I am not saying that this is perfect - far from it - but to me, as a teacher, it sort of seems common sense and part of the job description!

Jampot - Oxford Racing Tree !!!
Can we all please move to Megi's school? Seriously tho', DD1's teacher does give her a huge variety of books, not just ORT, but lots of non fiction (baby animals, how the eye works, what is in an egg and how the chick hatches) plus poetry and other reading schemes. She is heard reading at least twice a week by the teacher, and bring home between four and six books to read at home, which knackers me as I work full time. So, I think the school is doing fine by her as she is a good reader and now on stage 9.

It is the "competitive mummies" that get me - FFS - no-one is going to ask in a few years' time what level they were on in the ORT and when! Can't children play more at this age and learn at their own pace? Most of them get there in the end, don't they?

OMG, I am horrified at these threads. I am training to be a primary school teacher and if I were your children's teacher I would be (a) ashamed of myself that you think that of me and (b) mortified that the school response has been unacceptable. I would encourage any of you to speak with the teachers directly - they NEED TO KNOW! I would be delighted if every child in the class I eventually teach had the support at home that you seem to give to your children - much as I do with my own little ones.

If you have time and would like to volunteer as a classroom assistant, then please do! Resources are distinctly lacking in schools and that includes volunteer helpers.

I am assessing reading schemes as part of my course. ORT Stage I (the books with no words, just pictures) are there to introduce your child to the concept of reading and books. The teacher (or asst) will go through the book from cover to cover, discussing all the imagery and ANY text (which could just be the title of the book). The books are there to develop a child's sense of story and that you read from front cover to back cover. Stage II where text is included takes this a step further by introducing words to sound out and decode and teaches that reading is done left to right across the page.

Do a five finger test with your child: If your child gets more than 5 words incorrect or struggles to decipher without help 5 words throughout the book then the books is too hard. If they manage the book and only have the above difficulties with one or two words they are within the correct stage - it could be that they are not comprehending the story by showing they understand what the words mean and what is happening. If they do not struggle with any words, can explain word meanings to you and recount the story without assistance, then they need to go up to the next stage.

I am a keen reader and value literacy very highly. If children do not learn to read they will not be able to read to learn. It is an essential skills that has strong cross-curricular links.

Please, please voice your concerns with your teachers. My mum did with me when I was in primary school as I came home with the same book week after week - all because I could not get ONE word right, or because I could not recount the story, even though I could read the actual words! It's diabolical the Misuse of such schemes by some teachers - you must stamp it out.

My son is in reception (he's just 5) and we are using ORT. He has just moved to stage 2 - he gets one book a week and I think progress is too slow as he picks up new words very quickly, is getting the hang of phonics and reads with expression quite a lot of the time. I am going into the school on Wednesday about other things - is it worth my asking for a book say every 2-3 days or do you think I'l get accused of houthousing him. He can already read nearly all the "45 words" and we too have been using the Peter & Jane books to supplement. He only does reading once a week with a teacher and they won't move the kids on until they've done that - I think they should rely on my good sense to tell them when I think he knows the words and give us a new book. Or should I simply ignore ORT - do it once or twice a week to and do our own thing the rest of the time. But I think the school should differentiate.