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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Reading query

29 replies

everpuzzled · 30/09/2011 21:51

Hi this is my first time posting but was looking for some advice. Dd scored a 9 in reading on her foundations stage profile which came as a surprise as she was only on ORT3. We put a lot of work into reading last year and during the summer and I was really pleased with her progress. Her confidence has really grown her teacher assessed her at the beginning of this term and put her onto ORT4 but they are really easy for her. She read the secret room tonight and didn't need to sound any words out at all. She spoke about a few of the pictures after reading the text and changed expression when there was an exclamation etc. She said twice while reading this book is so easy isn't it? At home she has been reading the ORT read at home stage 5 ones pretty well. Last years school report praised her for confidence, expression and fluency while reading.

So my question is, is it ever ok to question a teacher about reading levels without appearing rude? And would you under these circumstances?

I don't necessarily want her reading level changed just some insight into what's holding her back so that I can work on it with her to enable her to move onto something a little bit more challenging sooner rather than later.

Thanks.

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blackeyedsusan · 30/09/2011 22:03

it is ok to ask. there may be a valid reason why the teacher thinks she is not ready for the next level. ask her to explain what aspects of reading you need to work on. your dd may not be doing the reading with expression thing at school though.

ort level 5 read at home are a lot harder than ort level 5 books.

carpwidow · 30/09/2011 22:05

How old is she?

Original poster

everpuzzled · 30/09/2011 22:09

Thanks for replying I just don't want to offend her teacher. Her previous teacher said she was reading well with expreession but I wouldn't rule out the new teacher and classroom throwing her. It is a big change.

Seemed like the ORT 4 she's been bringing home were more like the read at home level 2 ones. So confusing.

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Original poster

everpuzzled · 30/09/2011 22:12

Carpwidow she'll be 6 in January.

In year 1 they only read with a teacher once they've read all the books in a level so she's unlikely to be assessed again this term because they only get one book each week.

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carpwidow · 30/09/2011 22:16

Only 5!! Well she's doing brilliantly so I would just chill out a little, enjoy her and certainly not approach the teacher. They'll be emerged in all kinds of texts at school and it sounds as if she has a good lot of books at home too. Chill out and have a :)

AnxiousElephant · 30/09/2011 22:25

I was in a similar position last year. Don't know what band ORT 5 is though We do the colours. I just used to write in the contact book 'minianxious read this fluently and with good expression' or 'found this book easy, please could we try the next band?' Usually the teacher replied yes and it was the right decision. Her Y1 teacher is very pleased

Original poster

everpuzzled · 30/09/2011 22:41

Hi anxious, ORT 4 is blue seems like 5 is green. Thanks for sharing your experience. We don't have reading feedback books I'd have to make an appointment to see her teacher which just makes it all seem so formal.

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carpwidow · 30/09/2011 22:46

I wouldn't make a formal appointment ever - honestly, she's only 5 and we're only a few weeks in to the summer term - teachers are still assessing their pupils and, like I said above, they'll be immersed in all sorts of text during the school day. :)

ginandtonicandcrisps · 30/09/2011 22:50

Our child's teacher said she deliberately kept children on a level that was "easy" for them as it's a confidence thing. She then jumped up our child from level 2 to level 7 ;-)
All I can say is that years later, I have an extremely advanced reader and being kept down for confidence reasons did a load of good. So, there's prob a very good reason!

carpwidow · 30/09/2011 22:53

Also, some children are very advanced at reading the words on the page, but they are not so good at deducing what the text actually means. DF's son is 6, was put on library books, but was just "barking at print" as he had no idea about inference and deduction as the actual content of the books was too mature for him.

cece · 30/09/2011 22:55

Take her to the library and read some real books.

carpwidow · 30/09/2011 22:56

You're frightening me cece - you mean Biff and Chip aren't real?

Ferguson · 30/09/2011 23:07

Many schools are no longer using ORT books, as they do not fully support the current SYNTHETIC PHONICS method of learning reading.

It is great she is confident and keen to read, but is she really 'reading' or just memorising the words that go with the pictures? If she is given a piece of suitable phonic text that she has never seen before, can she decode, blend and read it?

The subject of READING gets large exposure in MN threads, some parents in despair, others elated, over their child's reading skills. Look up threads over the past few days, as yours is certainly not the first! and I have responded to a couple myself.

Having been a Teaching Assistant in primary schools, particularly supporting reading, for over twenty years, I'm afraid some schools do not teach it as well as they should. And amongst MN posts I do come across some real 'horror stories'!

AnxiousElephant · 30/09/2011 23:07

I don't think you need a formal appointment but I don't see the issue with asking if your child is saying it is too easy. Easy books with able children mean boredom = loss of interest imo. Mine hated reading her first books because she understood far more complex stories like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda and could tell me what had happened when we went back to it, so the 3 lines per page were really dull for her. Now her decoding is catching up with her comprehension and she is starting to enjoy actually reading books rather than being read to

dixiechick1975 · 30/09/2011 23:20

I could have written your post last week pretty much word for word (my DD also 6 in January)

We do have a reading comments book so just kept noting DD was reading easily/fluently. I checked with DD who she had read to (TA) As she hadn't read to teacher I thought I would give it a little time.

Is there any form of home/school communication book you could pop a note in? It seems odd your only means is a formal meeting with the teacher - what do working parents do?

DD read to the teacher and has immediately gone up a level to stage 5.

Original poster

everpuzzled · 01/10/2011 09:19

Ginandtonic that's interesting about building confidence. I can see that confidence is so important.

Cece we do go to the library regularly but the early readers section have none pitched at her level hence why we ended up with the read at home books that I'd hoped to avoid.

Ferguson our school still solely uses the ORT look and say books but blending and segmenting is something she doesn't struggle with she'll have a stab at sounding out any word and usually gets it right. The only recent exception I can think of is the word laughed but I'm pretty sure they haven't covered those sounds required in class yet.

Anxious dd sounds like yours has always thoroughly enjoyed being read to and can follow complex plot in chapter books.

DixieI don't think they want encourage parents communication so its 5 mins at parents evenings or a formal apointment. Maybe I could send a note in her bookbag? I'm really torn.

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mrz · 01/10/2011 15:50

Less than three quarters of the children achieving 9 points in the profile go on to achieve level 3 at the end of KS1 (reading ) writing less than half and slightly more than half in maths.

blue84 · 01/10/2011 15:58

Interesting mrz. My first child got mainly 7's and 8's on his profile but somehow achieved 3b at KS2. Was oo red books at end reception.
My 2nd dc got mainly 9's but I suspect she won't do any better long term. (stuck on turquoise)

mrz · 01/10/2011 16:05

The data also shows that a significant number of children who only scored 1 on the profile went on to achieve level 3

blue84 · 01/10/2011 16:21

Yet schools are judged on that assumption 9's = 3's!

RedHelenB · 01/10/2011 16:28

Can't you just take her to the library & choose some NON reading scheme books??? It really will help her more in the long run.

mrz · 01/10/2011 16:29

The National Assessment Authority made it clear that schools/LEAs shouldn't try to make a link (as there isn't one) but many still do.

Original poster

everpuzzled · 01/10/2011 16:43

Wow Mrz that's very interesting indeed. At dd's school they achieve about 50% level 3 at the end of ks1. So I'm guessing maybe most children score 9's based on your stats.

RedHelen someone else beat you to that suggestion and as I told them the early readers section at our library is poor. Either even easier than what she brings home from school or much much too hard the only alternative to scheme books I've found at her stage are the ladybird ones and we have them all.

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mrz · 01/10/2011 17:16

If they follow the same pattern as schools nationally some of the 50% level 3s will have achieved between 1-8 on the profile and some who achieved 9 will not reach level 3 in Y2.

AnxiousElephant · 01/10/2011 22:19

Very interesting Mrz - dd1 ended YR on 9 for reading/ phonics and has entered Y1 on orange, now on turquoise so almost at level 2 now .

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