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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

Slightly worried about DS and reading. Year 2.

16 replies

CollectionClassic · 10/01/2012 11:31

DS is 6, 7 in June. He is my first so have nothing/no-one to compare him to. I thought he was doing ok in reading - quite well actually - till a playground chat with some mums this morning. DS is reading ORT level 7/8/turquoise level Rigby Star books.

IMO he reads fine overall (prefers ORT books). He does stumble over some words, subsitutes some words and doesn't always sound things out as a first strategy with an unfamiliar word, but seems to recognise most words, breaks words down, self corrects, can predict what will happen next and understand what has happened in the story. He can take a few pages to 'get going' when reading, and I would say that the books are about the right level for him.

From this chat with other mums, it seems that most of their children were on this level mid way through Year 1. One mum, who used to be a teacher, said that my DS was likely to not get a good score on his SATS for reading . I honestly thought he was doing ok, average to just above average. So, am I right to be worried? And what else can I do - we read for 10-15 mins every day...

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pinkhebe · 10/01/2012 11:35

Sounds a bit like our school, lots of high achieving children. Your son sounds about the same level as mine at that age (a little higher maybe) he scored 2a in reading at the end of yr 2, and 3a by the end of yr3. In another school he'd be doing really well, but in ours hes in the bottom third. It's taken me a while to deal with it as i have a very high achieving older boy, but he's average, and that's great.

redskyatnight · 10/01/2012 11:43

He sounds perfectly fine. DC's school "expect" children to get to green/orange at the end of Y1 so he's working at pretty much the "expected" level.

I've noticed that DC seem to come on with their reading in fits and spurts at this sort of age so I don't think you can predict anything about his future SATs level at this stage.

If you're happy that he's making progress (which it sounds like you were till you started talking to other people) and his teacher has not flagged any concerns I would try not to worry.

startail · 10/01/2012 11:50

Only Mums with good readers ever say anything and the same goes for the children themselves.
I know this from experience. DD1 learnt to read in Y6, DD1 was the best reader in Y2.
My friend has a properly GT DD1 (now with a scholarship to a private school) and a perfectly average DD2.
You don't need me to tell you which ones mum is likely to mention or which ones more likely to chatter about what books they enjoy.
DF's daughter can be totally tactless in this regard.

Original poster

CollectionClassic · 10/01/2012 14:02

Thank you! So you reckon DS IS doing fine . I suppose I would prefer him to be at the same level as his peers, but then as you say, maybe it was only the better readers' mums who were making this conversation with me?

School haven't called me in about his progress ever, although as he is one of the youngest in the class, I suppose they won't expect quite so much of him just yet . As long as he is where he should be, I guess I should just relax and carry on what we are doing.

OP posts:

smilesandsun · 10/01/2012 16:30

This is an interesting one for me too. I am concerned that my 7 yr old is having problems learning to read too. I know that many (maybe most) of the class can read better but am not sure where to get extra help from.

I know that they all learn in time but I would like him to love reading eventually, and with the struggle he seems to have at the moment I can't see that happening.

Any advice of where to get extra help from would be most appreciated.

thx

FullBeam · 10/01/2012 16:43

My dd is also summer born and is about average for her Year 2 class; she is on ORT stage 8. Her teacher thinks that she will probably achieve level 2a in reading by the end of the year which is slightly above average for Year 2.

This chart shows which ORT stage goes with which age range;

ort

BTW, I think it is very unkind for another parent to predict a poor reading level for your DS!

Bonsoir · 10/01/2012 16:47

OP - please relax and do not pay attention to other (mean) mothers. Your DS is doing just fine and, IM (recent) E, children make a lot of very rapid progress in reading once they have got to the stage your DS is at. My DD was at about the same level as your DS last June; she has just read Matilda (shared reading aloud with me) and is starting on The Witches.

Original poster

CollectionClassic · 10/01/2012 21:10

Ok, I will relax! The othger parents weren't being mean as such, just proud of their children I guess. the comment about SATS was sort of a sucking in of teeth, 'that's not looking good for SATS then' when I said what level DS was on. I didn't really get a chance to say anything in response because DD chose that moment to crash into another toddler and I had to go to the rescue!

It is good to hear that DS's reading might accelerate. It does feel rather slow progress sometimes, but then he would rather be running about or building things than looking at books, and those sort of skills aren't measured at school are they!

OP posts:

simpson · 10/01/2012 22:02

There are some kids on ORT level 2 in Ds's yr2 class still and some of the top ones have finished ORT although there are not many who have.

I would say the average is level 6.

pointythings · 10/01/2012 22:21

IME children don't learn to read in a nice linear fashion, they do it in leaps - something will 'click' and then suddenly you will be shocked at the change. Boys tend to read later than girls and your DS sounds like he is poised on that threshold where it will click soon.

As long as he is enjoying reading and you are also reading to him, you will be fine. I second those posters who say that was a very unkind comment re SATs - and it isn't as if the KS1 SATs are a big deal for your DC - they should pass unnoticed for him, are based on teacher assessment and will give your DS's teacher a good idea of what the next steps should be. No more than that.

mumblesmum · 10/01/2012 23:13

Turquoise books are (approximately) level 1A/2C. As long as your ds has relatively good comprehension skills, with an average rate of progress from now until the end of the year, he will probably be teacher assessed at a 2B, or perhaps a 2A in June/July.
I really wouldn't worry about it!

smee · 11/01/2012 11:40

Definitely relax. He's doing well and anyway lots can happen in Yr2 - I had a similar comment from a certain rather snooty mum about my DS when he was in Yr2, about what a shame it was that my son was a bit slow. Her son's plateaued a bit now, whereas mine clicked and is now zooming along (in Yr3). Amused me no end to see her face when she realised they're both in the same group.

4madboys · 11/01/2012 11:45

yes relax! my boys were a bit slow with getting started to read and in yr2 were probably a bit behind, but they soon caught up and whizzed ahead!

and with regards to SATS well A, he doesnt have to take them if you dont want him to! and B ummm who ever asks what levels you got in oyr yr 2sats once you are out of primary school?!! it really doesnt matter.

massistar · 11/01/2012 12:00

I could have written this post myself! My DS will also be 7 in June and I was a bit worried at the start of Y2 as he was only on ORT Stage 3 and a lot of classmates seemed to be streets ahead. His teacher reassured me that he was doing fine and he is now on stage 6, almost 7.

Some of his class are on free reading so I suspect there are a lot of bright children in there but I'm ok with that. I think I struggled as I was a prolific reader (chapter books on my own at 5) and I have tried desperately to instil a love of books in my children too.

I think I've succeeded there as I still read to him every night as well as doing his reading book and I think it will come. He is good at maths and is exceptionally sporty so I suppose they all have their strong points!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 11/01/2012 12:02

DS1 struggled with reading in YR-Y2 and was below the level of your DS at the start of YR2. He did need a bit of extra support as he was about a year behind his chronological age which as he is a summer born put him quite far behind some of the children in the class.

In YR3 things started to click and he began reading for pleasure e.g. BeastQuest (initially he would do one page and I would do two). He is now in YR4 and is being sent home with books that are top end level 3 / bottom end level 4. I would estimate he made between 4 and 5 sublevels of progress in 1 year (he was a generous 2c at the end of yr 2 a less kind teacher might have given him a 1a and this with the extra support).

One of the teachers had stressed volume of reading as important for practicing the skill of reading and I think she is right (at least for DS1). Once he started reading for pleasure his reading improved because he was doing more of it. I bought anything I thought he would enjoy like BeastQuest, Dennis the Menace etc. He read simple books to his younger brother, it all helps.

Oggy · 11/01/2012 12:35

My experience is that no good can ever come from comparing reading scheme levels of children.

Presumably you read with him, and if you are happy with his reading progress and the teacher is then it really doesn't matter what book band color thingeme he is on.

Seriously, bow out of the conversations for a more relaxed life.

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