worried about daughters reading ability

[annijie]

daughter finished reception on level 2 ort books. her school report was brilliant, her teacher reassured me she was doing well. surely she should be on higher level books? she is bright and loves books, am i overreacting? advice please ladies!

You are over reacting

Your daughter sounds like a lovely girl who has had a brilliant start in reception. Yes there are children who are reading at higher levels at the end of reception, but there are also children who have not learnt to read so she is some where in the middle of the pack.
She has finished a bit above where my DD was this time last year (now finished year 1) and DD is now in the top half of the class for reading in a very able class.
So in a less blunt way you are over reacting.
Enjoy your gorgeous girl and look forward to the challenge of year 1.

If her report and what the teacher says are both positive and encouraging, then I don't think you should be worried. TBH I'm not quite sure why you are worrying? Has someone suggested to you that level 2 books are "not good enough"? If so, why do you think what they say is more relevant than what the teacher says?

My dd has just finished reception too and she has just (1 book) moved onto level 3 ORT. The rest of the class are mostly on level 2 with one on level4 and some still on level 1. Her report was good. I was concerned too at the start of the holiday, but have decided that school would let me know if there's a problem (small independent school). Am sure things will pick up in Year 1.

My 5yo DD had a glowing report and scored highly in the points thingy. TBH I'm more pleased that her teacher described her as kind, generous and inquisitive than how highly she scored. Her reading is very average and I know that it will get better in it's own time. She loves books which is the main thing.

Annie - your DD sounds as though she is just right. Don't worry and don't compare her reading level to other childrens. She is unique and will learn in her own time.

When is your dd's birthday? There is a huge difference in development between summer born children and winter born children.

Some children who can read incredibly high level books are doing nothing but barking at print. Learning to read is so much more than phonics and decoding.

Mumsnet is not a good source of information to know what is a typical reading level for an age group. Many mumsnetters lie through their teeth and exaggerate how good their child is at reading. Or alternatively mothers with children who are not free readers do not contribute to these threads.

If it helps most children speed though the levels once they get beyond ORT 2, so it looks as though your child is way behind those who are on level 5 but this is not the case, the leap from 0 to 2 is really large and after that it is just practice and familarity.

The age at which children 'get' reading varies considerably and is not as correlated with intelligence as one might suppose.

Its worth remembering that most other countries don't bother trying to teach reading till the kids are 6 or 7 and then most of them get it quickly without all the boredom and angst we put our kids through at 4-5 when many really aren't ready for it.

Easy to say in retrospect; I worried about
DDs reading all
the way through infants! So yes you're overreacting but its entirely normal to do that!

I agree it is normal to over react but you know the good thing? She loves books! That is what I am trying to acheive with my daughter right now. I have been trying to take the pressure off and not care what she reads as long as she is enjoying whatever she reads or what is read to her. That is the attitude I want to cultivate here. That is what will keep them going when we cannot be there anymore to 'bark' at them to read.

GTNome, I agree with your post totally. The pressure put on children here is just unbelievable. I am inclined to think that makes it harder for them to relax and read for pleasure. We weren't 'forced' or made to read when I was younger but I grew up loving books and so did my OH who grew up in the same country as me. I think the pressure here is just toooooo much

I wouldn't worry, My dd with a birthday right at the end of May who is the youngest girl in her year and has speech problems due to congenital problems in her mouth, ended up with a 90% attendance due to surgery, appointments and speech therapy and finished reception in July on level 1+.
She really has problems with reading as the sound she can physically produce do not sound like the ones she is trying for, this has put a spanner in for reading, she takes the short cut of learning words by sight, that will only get you so far so her teacher and I headed her off by putting her on 1+ Foppy's phonics books and making her sound out everything, she has also had the summer completely off, no pressure and it has done her the world of good, she is wanting to try again. We are a family of readers, books are an important part of life however I didn't take off and get reading until I was about 6 in year 2, I had been very ill and spent months in hospital so that would have been a factor but when it did click I just streamed ahead, read everything in the infants library and made a big dent in the junior one, by the time I left there was no book I hadn't read!
I guess what I am trying to say in a long winded way is some children have problems that you wouldn't necessarily think would impact reading but do and some just click later, it will come, reception is imo an introduction to schooling and fluent reading is not to be expected at the end for most.

www.oup.com/oxed/pdf/ORTReadingAges.pdf

OP I hope this helps you... I think your child's level in reading is fine.. I have no experience yet, as my son Ace turned 4 last friday 20th August and will start reception on 7th september... you shouldn't worry hun...

yes i am over reacting, thanks ladies, feel a bit silly now!

thank you all for
your kind, and blunt lol words of wisdom