How quickly do children progress in reading in year 2?

[Shaxx]

Ds1 is starting year 2 in Sept and was reading at his expected level by the end of yr 1 (though I think he's improved over the summer). He was given some Beast Quest books by a friend who said quite casually 'Oh he'll be reading them by Christmas'

Yes, I know all children are different and each progress at different levels but my friend insists that in year 2 most children progress very quickly with their reading. I'm just curious about others views.

I think it very much depends on the child.
DS "clicked" with reading half way through Year 1, he made huge leaps of progress that year, and in Year 2 he made good but much more steady progress. Others of his friends have "clicked" in Y2 and made lots of progress in that year. Still others have just made steady progress throughout. And even more others take to reading in Reception (or even prior to Reception).

IMO a child working at the "expected" level in Y2 is probably going to find BeastQuest a little bit hard - they will probably be able to read bits of it but struggle with some of the harder words and the length of the stories.

Probably not Beast Quest by Dec - but it will come very quickly. And he'll almost certainly be reading them by July......

Good question! My DS was on Orange level books at the end of Yr 1, and I was wondering the same. Do most children who are at this level progress on to Horrid Henry-type books by the end of Yr 2, or would that be above or below average progression?
Ta

There is a range from Harry Potter to Biff and Chip in my DD's year 2 class. I would guess that HH-type books would be achievable for middle ability children upwards.

Thanks lovecheese. I think DS is pretty much middle ability (?) so that sounds good to me.

Thanks. I wasn't sure about ds1 getting to Beast Quest by Christmas!
The problem is I don't know what ds1s actual formal ability is as the school is really bad at moving the children up reading levels, even when I've asked him to be reassessed.

He was on blue level at the end of year 1 but just finished Dinosaurs Packed Lunch and read it pretty much by himself.

Could someone do me a favour and have a look at it please and tell me what equivalen reading level on ORT he could be on? I may have to push the teacher a bit.

www.amazon.co.uk/Dinosaurs-Packed-Lunch-Jacqueline-Wilson/dp/055255782X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314186069&sr=8-1#reader_055255782X

I don't know what level it is - but it's not that much easier than Beast Quest.

Sounds like he's doing really well for the end of Y1.

Relax and enjoy watching him grow and learn.

I am relaxed about it honest! Thats why I've never really pushed the teachers.
But I want to do the best by him too.

He does still read one word at a time and only fairly short books.

shaxx Go in at the start of the year and say, conversationally, that DS has been reading X and Y over the holidays, isn't that great, thought you would like to know to BEAR IN MIND WHEN YOU REASSESS HIM. I did it with DD2 at the end of reception, she had that real "Eureka" moment during the summer and went from reading Biff, Chip et al to Roald Dahl and Enid B. I talked to her new year 1 teacher who bumped her up several levels no problem.

Thanks lovecheese. I'll do exactly that.

definitely depends on the child. Ds1 was still Biff and Chipping at the start of year 2 - probably through at least half of it - not a confident reader and is now going into year 5 and much more confident and able - just took some time.

Ds2 is a fantastic reader and finished with B&C in year 1, but he was in year 2 last year and really slowed down - he can pretty much read most things but is a lazy little sod (frankly) and just can't be bothered to stretch himself most of the time (understandable ). He chooses his own books at school and they're usually pretty easy . He's going into year 3 and I'm hoping his new teacher will shove him along a bit!

It is very variable DD did well in reception and year 1 and has virtually plateaued in year 2. We have continued to read over the summer holidays and I'm not a teacher, but I think it may have clicked and we have moved on.

My DD is also starting year 2 in September. She was assessed as Level 2B in her reading (Average for a Year 2) in her school report.

She reads the Daisy books which seem to be similar in text to the Dinosaur one you linked too - though I know that she does skip unfamiliar words (or guesses at them) if she goes too fast!

dizzyday07 has your DD tried The Magic Tree house books, and OP too come to think of it? They are quite simple, but good stories and there are a few of them so good at maintaining the reading momentum.

Dizzyday thanks for that link. It has given me something to go on.
I will look at The Magic Treehouse too.

I haven't heard of the Magic Tree House books - so will go have a google!

Depends on the child. They all seem to have a point where it "clicks", but the actual age varies. With DS1 it was sometimes in Year 2, when he was about 7.5, with DS2 it was in year 1 when he was 6. Once it clicks they do come on incredibly quickly and are suddenly reading Harry Potter. But they all do it in their own time.

Also try her on some of the simpler Jacqueline Wilson books eg. sleepovers, the mum minder. My DD was similar to yours at the end of year 1 (reading at a level 3) but it can be tricky to find good books when their reading age is more advanced than their maturity, IYKWIM.

Dizzy - can your DD read that book totally independently? Can she read it silently? Or does she have to read it out loud to you and get help with some words?

Just trying to work out what a 2b means in real terms.......

My ds just became more comfortable reading in y2, eg reading in his head instead of out loud ditto maths. But by golly did his writing transform - from huge letters roller coasting across page to joined-up better than his dad's (this not as good as it sounds given weirdy illegible scrawl he has).
In other words, progress is never linear or predictable.

Indigobell hello - the whole reading malarkey is not as simple as I, and probably most of the population, thought. I used to think - naively - that the book band that a child was on=a NC level; it kind of does, but not in a "X is taking home gold books, so they must be a 2b" kind of way. The reading element of the year 2 SAT's is to do with comprehension of a set text, and to get, say, a 2b the child must demonstrate that they have read and understood a certain amount of the set text and are able to answer questions thereon. It really doesnt mean that if your child is a 2b then they should be reading silently in their head etc. Does that make sense?

LoveCheese - I understand that. Which is why I was asking what Dizzy's DD can do in comparison to mine....

My DD is a 2a, but her reading is very poor. Whereas when DS was a 2b his reading was very good. So I'm just wondering what other kids are like when they are a 2b......

DD certainly couldn't read that daisy book without a lot of support.

To achieve a 2B a child doesn't need to read aloud - it is more about comprehension based on the idea that they need to be reading fairly accurately to understand and answer questions

Perhaps her understanding is better than you think?

Yes, this is what I'm getting at. They need to be reading fairly accurately, and understand (or be able to guess) what they read - but they don't need to be reading fluently or confidently. Nor do they have to be able to read for any length of time.

But I was wondering if other kids at 2b or 2a are like mine. Not reading fluently or confidently or independently or in their heads yet......