Reading levels - again (sorry)

[tempertemper]

Just a query for those who may be more in the know about school reading levels.

My DS (reception) has just been moved from blue band books to green. However, he came home with a book yesterday that was marked ORT level 7 and looked to be a turquoise band. I pointed this out to his TA this morning, but she assured me at hometime that she had checked and this definitely is a green book.

I've done a google and the book is definitely turquoise on the ORT. Is this the only colour scheme about? The only reason I ask is that it seems waaaay harder to me (lots more words per page, and lots more pages) and my DS is struggling with it - to the point where he is not even managing to read the words he usually breezes. I had (foolishly in hindsight - lesson learnt the hard way ) promised him a treat when he went up to the next book level, so he was really delighted to move up, but now is having a real knock to his confidence as the book is much trickier.

I want to reassure him it's just that the book is several steps on for him - but if I'm wrong and the TA is right, maybe I should feed back that he doesn't seem quite ready yet?

just tell him the ta made a mistake and it is turquoise. if you do read it together, fill in the hard ords for him or read it to him first and talk about the difficult words together. don't push it too hard and knock his confidence.

It's a bit tricky. The TA told me in front of him that it was definitely a green. I've said I think she made a mistake but just wanted to make sure there was no other colour system I'm not aware of?

My fault for making going up a level linked to a treat. He wanted a scooter for ages, and with his birthday being ages away I had said he could have one if he tried really hard at school for example if he was moved up a level with reading. It stuck as a plan - it's just a bit of a comedown for him to finally get there and then find he is struggling.

If there are other colour schemes where this book is a green, then he's probably gone up a bit early. If it is actually a turquoise then I can reassure him without him thinking he's not ready for the next level, IYSWIM.

What's the title of the book?

The Joke machine

Why don't you have a look on Reading Chest website and see if you can do a quick comparison? The green and turquoise stickers on the books at our school are so similar sometimes I, as a parent helper, have to check with the teacher about which level it actually is!

Googled it and it's ORT turquoise. Hence why I was wondering if there were different colour schemes around. TA quite adamant its green.

At DD's school they are more flexible about books (ie the children don't need to read a specific amount to go onto the next level) but DD's teacher suggested she had some slightly harder ones and DD lost confidence for a bit. I mentioned it and she had some "easier" ones for a while. She is back to ones at a higher level than before now.

I would definitely feedback that the book didn't seem right for your DS. ORT 7 is pretty high up, especially for reception (IMO anyway) and there are a lot more words to the page. I think it would be bad for him to feel that reading isn't fun - you don't want him to be turned off reading at this stage.

I did once have a chart saying which ORT books were at which book band levels (as the ORT levels aren't necessarily the same as book bands). Will see if I can find it.

Is turquoise after orange which is after green?

Great LawrieMarlow, that's what I thought - that ORT turquoise may well be a different colour in another book band. If I hadn't sodding well made a fuss over going up this time, it wouldn't matter to him! Every other step up has been pretty seamless which I why I was surprised this time at how much he struggled.

I'll feedback to the teacher I think and see what she suggests. Maybe trying a couple of different greens may help (seems to be a huge variation in the bands so far).

If you find the chart that would be v helpful though.

turquoise is after orange
The TA has made a mistake

Listen to mrz - she knows what's what :)

Found the chart but I think that book is newer than the chart. I am very sure it is turquoise and not green - he has been given a book two levels harder than he is on. So not surprising he is struggling.

Ah, just googled the last book he had and it is a stage 4b on ORT so definitely not right that this one is a level 7, regardless of colours.

Phew.

His confidence is on a knife edge at the best of times - the last thing I wanted to do was have the teacher stick him back onto blue again because he'd found the book to tricky, when he was so puffed up with pride for going up.

Note to self: no more rewards for going up levels!

too, not to.

Thank you all for your help!