How do teachers assessing reading level at the start of a new school year?

[Heckythump1]

That's it basically!

Will they reassess children's reading level when they go back? or just put them on the same level they finished on at the end of the Summer term?

If they reassess how?

Generally (in my school, anyway), we either have the level they were at in the summer term, or ask them if they remember what level they were on, get them to choose a book from that level, hear them read a few pages, and judge if it's too easy, too hard or just right.

I'm in Y3 next year (first year of our Junior school). My process will be as follows: for the children who the Infant school have told us have finished phonics (we've know there are loads who still need phonics due to missing chunks of Y1 and Y2 due to covid), I'll get them to read the last page of the phonics assessment. Assuming they can read it fluently (if they can't, I'll do the whole assessement on them), I'll ask if they remember what colour they were on, hear them read and judge if it's the right level. For children still on phonics, once I do an assessement on them, it'll tell me what reading level they should be on because our levels are linked to the scheme (and then after they finish the scheme, they come out on Oxford Owl level Purple-ish).

Some schools might leave them on the level they were on in the summer term, at least to start with so they can start taking books home asap, and then reassess once they've settled in.

Interesting, thank you :)

My DD is just going into Y1, she finished Y1 on Blue books, but they were fairly easy for her. She's read every day all summer and is now reading turquoise and purple books with ease (we have reading chest subscription and she's done the library Summer Reading Challenge) so will be interesting to see if her teacher can see her progress too!

I know they change their own books in Y1 which will also be interesting!

She finished reception on Blue Books, clearly she's not finished Y1 yet :P

In my school, in the first instance, we send home books at the same level they were on before the summer holiday, then over the first couple of weeks every child will be reassessed at some point (using a benchmark scheme or through teacher assessment during guided or one to one reading session with teacher or TA) and children moved up, down or stay the same accordingly.

I remember that the first book my DD brought home in Y1 was ten levels lower than the level she'd been on when she finished YR!

If it had been just one or two levels lower, I'd have left it for a couple of weeks, waiting for her to be reassessed, but because it was clearly completely wrong, I had a quick word with the teacher, and the next day her reading was assessed and she brought home a book at the appropriate level.

Is there a reading diary you can comment in to let the teacher know that they have read regularly over the holidays and tried harder books?

DD has just started year 1. She finished on orange, was heard read on the first day and moved to turquoise. I was impressed it happened on day 1! The issue for you might be that they don't seem to skip levels, so might only move her up one. Maybe write a note in her reading log.

Yes, we've just had a note saying they are going to assess them over the next two weeks. They only ever go up one level at a time at our school.