Book several bands below reading level for table work?

[aegeansky]

Those of you who can't stand threads about reading levels, turn away. DS got 3 for reading in his end of ks1 report, and has just started in year 3.

I know the teacher is probably getting to know the children for herself, but I'm wondering why, if she has access to the levels, she has given his table a book that is several bands below what he can read for himself?

He was confidently reading books at about NC level 4 last term, and continued reading over the summer. The book the children have been given for their literacy work is about 5 bands below this. The top table has been given a book of the correct level for its ability (NC5) from what I can see.

I know some of you will say relax, it's early days, but what alarms me is the internal inconsistency - correct level for top table, not so obvious why below actual recent attainment for his table?

Because, Pixie, the top group is reading at level 5 !!

aegeansky - I'm convinced your chart of book levels doesn't equate to NC levels. Reading recovery levels 23 - 28 cover NC level 3 according to my own LA chart and levels 9-14 cover NC level 1.

Slinking in for a quick hijack, sorry...hocuspontas is your chart the same as benchmark assessing?

Don't know about that but this is the chart I was referring to.

hocus,

your levels aren't incompatible. I couldn't be bothered to show the corresponding NC levels below level 2 as they weren't that relevant to this conversation.

Please, please, let's not quibble about it. It's a chart of NC levels!

Sorry hocus, the chart you have just posted has nothing to do with the one I'm talking about - colours have completely different meanings.

Has anyone here read "May Contain Nuts?"

Yes, really funny.

Hi all, I'm new to mumsnet. Does anybody know what kind of books(colours/schemes) like Ruth miskin the harrow schools follow for year 2 kids?

Seeker, children do matter widely in maturity of understanding as well as ability.

Dd was able to discuss the plot construction of The Lord of the Rings (which I read aloud to her) aged 6 and draw perfectly reasonable conclusions as to authorial intentions, so she was obviously able to understand the plot and keep it in mind. By age 8, she had read the trilogy for herself and a whole lot of other books that she would certainly never have been allowed to get out of the school library- not because they were all scary or explicit, but because the school deemed she would not be able to understand them, therefore she must not try them.

Dd is bright, but not freakishly so. Her cousin had read as much at the same age and so had I.

I can well imagine a school being able to rustle up a table (that is, 3 or 4 children) of similar abilities, if that kind of family happens to be living in the area.

I believe dd might well have been put off reading if she had only had access to the school library, as she found the books she was allowed in junior school very babyish. As it was, she just accepted that school reading was work you did, and the reading at home was what you did for pleasure.

Personally, I never bothered to keep track of dd's reading books, as it was such a tiny proportion of the reading she did. My parents never pushed me to read more difficult things, but the books were there... I would never stop a child from reading a book because it might be difficult or bore them: to me, reading is about finding out what you like and what bores you. (Though I would try to dissuade them from stuff that might give them nightmares, obviously.) But I would understand that a school might not be able to cater for all interests in the classroom.

Cory, thank you, as your post is very supportive of the facts underlying my OP. You very perceptively say 'I can well imagine a school being able to rustle up a table (that is 3 or 4 children) of similar abilities, if that kind of family happens to be in the area. '

Indeed.

There are two schools round here (in a community that otherwise has pockets of staggeringly deep deprivation) where I'd say 25% of the new cohorts and rising are from families where books are everywhere at home and both parents read a lot and demonstrate enjoyment of reading to their children. In probably 10-15% of these families, at least one parent writes in some capacity related to their work and that is foregrounded and the child knows about it and refers to it as a desirable thing.

It's a very, very, big advantage if children grow up talking about ideas and feeling that it's natural to read for fun and write for pleasure.

Can I just agree with Cory that I never worry about the level DS2 is at with the school reading scheme because of the immense amount of reading that he does outside school?

He is 7 (P4, which I believe is the same as Yr3?) and we are still on the ORT reading scheme with mind-bendingly dull stories. However, such stories are attached to the workbooks that the class does and therefore he benefits in that way - writing does not necessarily come as easily as reading to him.

Since he is reading one of his father's academic textbooks on myths at the moment in order to make comparison with the Percy Jackson books, and also taking a PJ book into school for 'golden time' use, I have no worries about his reading and really don't care what reading stage he is at in the reading scheme. Seriously, does it really matter that much?

Ime often all a child needs is the recognition of the discrepancy between what they can do and what they are currently doing-and if at all possible some explanation of the teacher's rationale.

-Yes, dear, I know it must seem odd to you to be reading about Kipper when you have already read The Three Musketeers. I think it might be because it's a different kind of reading though. Never mind, it doesn't mean we think you can't read.

Dd and I had a good many laughs about silly library rules and that (and the reassuring feel of the city library card in her pocket)was enough to resolve her worries.

I think you may have misunderstood the colours. NC level 5 would be a book which be very unlikely to appeal to a yr 3 reader, however confident a reader they may be. A 7/8 year old is not going to get much out of a book for much older children. I am talking about books like holes by Louis sachar, The hobbit, Private peaceful by michael morpurgo.

I haven't read the whole thread so apologise if it has already been said but aegeansky's table is incorrect

NC level 4 would be sapphire book band 13 reading age 11 -12 years RRL 27-30

www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/primary_strategy/inclusion/wave3/documents/ks_1-2_levels_bk_bnds.doc

1
2 1 Pink FSP < 5 read age
3
4
5 2 Red FSP 5
6
7
8 3 Yellow 1c 5½
9
10
11 4 Blue 1b 5½ - 6
12
13
14 5 Green 1b 5½ - 6
15
16 6 Orange 1a/2c 6 - 6½
17
18 7 Turquoise 1a/2C 6½ - 7
19
20 8 Purple 2c 7 ? 7½
21
22 9 Gold 2b 7½ - 8
23
24 10 White 2a/3c 8 ? 8½

I am thoroughly confused by this book band/NC level/reading scheme levels!

Ignoring the specifics of levels/bans, if I understand correctly the OP is saying that her son's class is exceptionally able and her son, whilst being a very good reader, is not amongst the top 4-5 in his class. Her concern seems to be that her son's table has been given a book for their literacy work which is significantly below her son's reading level whilst the top table has been given a book only slightly below their reading ability.

Aegean, if you are very concerned, why not just ask the teacher directly? However, could the answer be that literacy is not just about reading skill, but about spelling, comprehension and writing ability also and that the difference in these levels and the reading age of the upper table is small and that there is a wider gap in these areas at your son's table?

In terms of the reading abilities of your sons class, I agree that it is remarkable, but not impossible. Additionally, if the school he is at is able to push that number of students to such reading levels (at least ten way above the expected NC levels), perhaps you should trust what they are doing.

aegeansky Thu 09-Sep-10 20:10:18

I said there was a visible chart explaining the correspondence between book colour codes and levels. I also said that the top table, FOR ITS SILENT READING, had been given a book with an orange sticker, which is NC level 5.

I think there is a great deal of confusion/misunderstanding... a book with an orange sticker is unlikely to relate to NC level 5 (unless the school has some completely bizarre system unique to them)
In most systems orange equates to NC level 2

Out of interest do you know his reading age or the titles of any of the books

Despite being asked for the titles of the books they are reading loads of times, ageansky has never got back to us.

Pleae do - we are genuinly interested because it seems to fly in the face of everying I know about able 7/8 year olds in the schools I've worked in.

I thin all this is just misunderstanding. The OP is talking about 'The Power of Reading'. I imagine they have colours associated with books. (?)
Anyone use this CLPE scheme?

Please excuse my awful spelling errors - I'm trying to roast a chicken while MNing at the same time.

The Power of Reading project doesn't have book bands from what I gather. I know Cumbria have linked books used for POW to the book banding colours which wouldn't match up to the list aegaensky posted. The project is a literacy project aimed at improving children's involvement in reading and writing with a focused sequence in the lesson
Spelling and vocabulary
Reading
Response to text
Reading
Drama
Reading
Focused questions about the text
Grammar / Response to text
Writing task

POR not POW