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Original poster

What is so difficult about this??.

41 replies

Smallstuff · 07/04/2011 13:27

DS2 is in Yr 1.
He went up to orange book band books (after I had written a note in his book diary) at half term. 6 plus weeks ago. At that time his teacher said she didn't think he would be on them for long.
At parents eve three weeks ago she said he was ready to go up a level.
She told me his year end target is a 2b (which I think equates to gold book band 3 levels higher than orange.
Then nothing for a further three weeks. No change in book level. Despite every time he reads (which has not been to her since parents eve) the comments saying lovely fluent reading, good expression etc etc
I just cannot understand why she would raise my expectations and then do nothing about it?!?!
I went in yesterday and asked for him to go up and she was fine with it.
I just feel like I have to be in her face all the time to get him moved up...when its she who wants him at level 2b!!!! I hate being pushy but 6 weeks at one level seems a long time to me....
Anyway rant over!!!!

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lovecheese · 07/04/2011 13:32

Why are you so desperate for him to fly through the levels? Admittedly it sounds a bit bizarre for teacher to have set a difficult target for him to reach. Personally do not think 6 weeks is very long at all to be on a level, and as they progress from orange upwards the skills required at each level increase and IMO they progress at a slower rate.

caffeinated · 07/04/2011 13:35

My ds is year 1 and a 2b and on purple band. He could probably confidently read a higher book band but that alone isn't a factor for nc levels.

I can see why you're frustrated though because she doesn't do what she says but maybe she's not too concerned about which band but rather the right skills?

CheeseMeisterGeneral · 07/04/2011 13:37

small stuff, l will be interested in the replies you receive regarding book banding and targets. l thought the book band directly correlated with the target/grade. However my DDs best friend (yr1) is on blue band (as is my DD) but has been given a 2b, my DD a 1b ?

My DD reads the ORT books sent home with ease, occasionally coming across a word she has to think about sounding out. Understands the context and shows expression etc etc.

We only have a book change at our school twice a week, when it used to be every day. And l also think they are working the children through every single ORT book in that band before moving them on. It could take some time at this rate.

We read daily, that can mean the same book 4 times, l have to find different ways to use the same book each night. We fill in the reading diary etc etc.

l just don't understand why children are not assessed more regularly. Parents evening i mentioned it and was told Mrs X the TA is very good at knowing when a child is ready to move up ... l'll take that as a leave it to us please comment [hmmm]

Original poster
Smallstuff · 07/04/2011 13:41

I am not really wanting him to fly along. But just find it odd that they seem to want him to but then do nothing about it.... Plus he was finding the orange books really easy and quite frankly boring. The ones we have now do seem a lot more his level.

OP posts:
3littlefrogs · 07/04/2011 13:41

I used to read the school book, then quickly move on to reading other, much more interesting books. The school reading book was always incidental. I wouldn't get too hung up about it TBH - just make sure you have plenty of other books around.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 07/04/2011 13:45

I think the book banding is a bit of a red herring - the NC levels don't just rely on how well they can read the books, and how difficult a book they can read, but also their understanding of what they've read, being able to predict what will happen next, etc.

Both my boys can "read" much harder books than they can actually understand. DS2 is YR2 and "could" get a 3c, he's currently on Blue Bananas (?!) but his comprehension isn't as good as it could be so he's been on blue banans for what feels like forever. (though his school don't really use any specific reading scheme, he's had ORT, Storyworld and Bananas, aong others, home for his reading)

Original poster
Smallstuff · 07/04/2011 13:45

Thanks all. Maybe the NC levels don't correlate to book bands? I thought they did but maybe I am wrong and he could be assessed as a 2b without being on gold...
I am not that worried but in Yr 2 (where DS1 is ) it seems that they read even less than in Yr1 so want him reading at a good level before he moves up,a year if that makes sense.
In Yr 1 they read ONCE a week and not always to a TA or teacher.

OP posts:
Bramshott · 07/04/2011 13:54

Seeing as book bands are not universal, nor I think obligatory, I can't see how they can correlate to NC levels TBH.

As Baroque says - reading is about so much more than decoding the words.

Original poster
Smallstuff · 07/04/2011 14:00

I do understand that it is not just decoding. And we do discuss inferred emotions, language usage and all that jazz (altho magic key adventures are not renowned for their emotive script!!). He could decode orange books 6 weeks ago!! And so he has since then vastly improved his expression and comprehension...

OP posts:
SarkyLady · 07/04/2011 14:03

I think that reading books are (rightly) pretty low down in the teachers' list of priorities.

mrz · 07/04/2011 17:28

Book bands are universal (it is possible to find the book band for all but the most recently published books although not all schools choose to use the system) and it is possible to equate a NC level to a book band providing the child fulfils the necessary criteria as they read it.
2B is the expected level at the end of Y2

clam · 07/04/2011 17:31

"raise your expectations?" "asked for him to go up?"
Hmm
Sorry, but I think you need to get a life, and let her get on with her job.

blackeyedsusan · 07/04/2011 20:18

how do you find the bookband mrz

baroquearoundtheclock which book band are blue bananas?

cat64 · 07/04/2011 20:34

This reply has been deleted

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FAB5 · 07/04/2011 20:38

You seem very dismissive of the teacher's ability to teach your child.

There is more to reading than just repeating words.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 07/04/2011 20:45

blackeyedsusan - haven't got a clue what band they are >

I know he can "read" much harder stuff (often does readings at church which are much more difficult) - but his comprehension is mostly in line with blue bananas............whatever they are Blush Grin I think there are yellow and red bananas too but not sure. DS1 was on Storyworld all the way through infants, DS2 has been on Storyworld, ORT and Bananas - plus a couple f others I can't remember. His teacher just moves him onto whichever series she feels is appropriate for him next.

forwantofabetter1 · 07/04/2011 21:03

Why cant MN parents not just enjoy reading with their children ? The majority of you (or maybe it just seems that way) are obsessed with bookbads and getting to the next level.

My DS1 is in year 3 and has been a free reader since year 2 though very rarely has a school book as he prefers his own and DS2 just started reception and comes home with all sorts of different phonics based books

I cant remember ever thinking "what band are they on" or "they must have a harder book" I trust the judgment of the trained teacher and we read lots and lots of real books together at home

choccyp1g · 07/04/2011 21:55

Whenever there is a thread like this, someone says, just get lots of books, read them to him, read them together etc. However, when a child is struggling a bitgoing a bit more slowly through the colours, we get the whole argument about phonics, and people saying you shouldn't ask them to read a book they can't decode.
Is this contradictory or am I failing to "comprehend" ?

choccyp1g · 07/04/2011 21:56

Since a child who I read with went up 6 (SIX) levels in one go, I am a bit less inclined to trust the judgment of the teacher.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 07/04/2011 22:04

choccyp1G - not quite as dramatic - but at the start of this school year DS2 jumped up 4 levels in one go. His reading just suddenly took off, from struggling a bit going slowly through the levels something just "clicked" with him and his teacher saw no need for him to work his way through the ones in between where she uut him. It was most dramatic, one day DS2 was still struggling to decode simple words, the next thing I know he's volunteering to do readings in Sunday school and decoding the simple, and much harder, words with ease Shock! And his comprehension leapt with his decoding as well. 'twas most bizarre and I had the shock of my life when he did it (actually accused the Sunday school leader, who is my best friend, or lying to me Blush)

clam · 07/04/2011 22:05

What do you mean, six levels in one go?

mrz · 07/04/2011 22:08

If a child is reading confidently then the way to improve is practise practise practise. If a child is struggling they need to practise practise practise choccypig ... no contradiction

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 07/04/2011 22:11

clam - I presume she means

teacherwith2kids · 07/04/2011 22:23

It is probably worth looking at the details of what a child needs to be able to do to reach a NC 2b in reading.

Look for example at the document attached to nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/153537

A child who is working securely at 2b would be able to do all the things under Level 2. You will notice that none of them mention 'read books from book band x', they are all about inference, deduction, analysis of punctuation, knowledge of different types of books, knowing about features of different book types etc.

Does that help?