How to support my year 1 to pick up reading speed

[JustCantBeBothered]

His teacher has said he can read words but he's very slow so is failing to move up levels. He's just been moved up RRI grey but only on the basis that he's read blue twice. Listening to him read of an evening is honestly quite drawn out and difficult. It's not his favourite thing to do for sure but he will find ANYTHING to distract himself including the pics in the book. So will read 'gus was a pug' and then go "oh look he has a blue collar" etc etc. I just can't get him to focus on getting through the words fluently without stopping.

Any suggestions? I've tried encouraging him as much as possible, reading in a quiet place etc but he will fidget/ fiddle/ chat anything but basically get on with it.

Teacher says he's doing ok but she's not much more help than that (and difficult to speak to in the limited access I have)

Should add he's an autumn baby so actually 6.5yr.old

How does he fare on the word grid? Use something like a lollipop stick to point at the words quickly to make it more fun. Then he has to focus because there isn't time for talking about collars.

He is obviously finding it hard work, even though he can do it. Try some different books, find subjects or stories that interest him, then read to him and let him read the next word, or sentence. It really is just lots of practice. but it must be made to be useful and fun, or he will just be turned off.

Great ideas thank you.

I don't know if you allow pads/tech but i've heard amazing things about the app Reading Eggs. I'm about to sign up to it myself for my 5 year old, who, like your son, really struggles to focus. I think the app will catch his attention more. Also, we home educate and we use Twinkl. It has some fabulous resources for teaching if you're looking for print outs etc. It really is worth the subscription, even if your child is in school.

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/

My dd is like this - y2 now, and it has been a long slog. She does improve, but it is such slow going! I think little and often is key, so more reading sessions but make them shorter. I also think a good foundation of sight words really helps - Nessy was good for this, but we also did flash cards for a few at a time.

on the other hand, her comprehension is excellent- it takes forever for her to read a book but she remembers and can discuss everything in it.

i think picture books without words are meant to be great
or just practice practice, writing lists in a fun way

Are the books dull? My child in reception reads some of the easier books in a painful way as she’s bored but give her something with a plot and she’s much more engaged and focused. Some of the school reading books are so boring I don’t really blame them for finding something to distract them!

I'd agree that some of the books are very boring. One was about facts about greyhounds and now we're on one about pugs 😂 he doesn't like dogs.

He likes reading to his baby sister.

However, his teacher quizzes him on the books he's sent home with and he needs to read it three nights in a row, if he doesn't, it's sent back home again (and again, and again...). Seems so harsh to me for a 6year old.

I will try to add more fun practice around it. Thanks for the additional resources

Honestly don’t worry about it. It feels so huge at the time but once he’s finally released from colour books and is a free reader you won’t even remember (well barely) how painful this bit is. If his comprehension is good and he’s able to be expressive when reading then the speed will come with practice. The books are dull, especially as they’ll have read them at school before they even bring them home to read them yet again. Are his basic speed sounds fluent? That will speed him up.

Oh my!! your son reminds me of myself as a child. Forced to sit and read books that I struggled with or had no interest in. Consequently I hated reading until I was 35.

It needs to be engaging and fun for him, and pitched at the right level. His teacher needs to support that not keep sending home the same crap on repeat 🙈

We are in a similar boat here too so I sympathise.
i cannot get my son to read his reading book without an argument or bribery but found he will happily participate in choosing a bedtime story and reading that with me. He does so much better this way.

Honestly, it sounds a bit counterproductive to be sending him home over and over again with the same books. There are a few things you can try:
1 Monster Phonics. Perhaps ask the school if they would be interested in paying for the whole programme. It’s relatively new so not all schools know of it but is absolutely fantastic for improving reading quickly. Some resources are also available for parents to get.
2 Go on fb marketplace and try to get some different reading schemes that use the same colour banding system (I’m guessing it’s ORT?) By using Read it Yoursekf, Songbirds, Usborne Young Reading etc you might find he can find something he’s a bit more interested in but you’ll still be working at the same level so complementing what he’s doing in school.
3 When he’s watching his favourite TV programmes, put the subtitles on. He won’t be able to help himself- his eye will be drawn to them and he will effectively read with audio support
4 When doing his school reading, do alternate pages- you read one, he reads the next (or paragraphs, depending on the length of the text). That helps everyone’s sanity- he reads but then feels you are engaging with him and you get to speed it along a bit.

Both my DCs were great readers from early on BUT this was despite the various school/phonics books not because of them! 😆 They are very boring there's no getting around it. Instill a love of stories and make reading fun rather than a chore and he'll be way more motivated and make good progress op. We read the school book to a minimal amount then moved on to other books. Things like you read this line then I'll read a bit works well - an easier line for them, then read yourself a bit to keep the story moving..! Any repeated refrain, get them reading it, I found it kept their eyes moving along the text waiting for the next chance to shout "BANG!" or "CHEESE" or whatever.
I get the scheme books, I do, but they are dull and don't do the whole job.