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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 in YR some reassurance

38 replies

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 20:32

DD reads at home beautifully. Not her school books though.
She reads a scheme I get from the library called Start Reading, and also Leapfrog fairy tales. The Start Reading ones are book banded but Leapfrog ones are not. We just choose ones that she likes the look of.

At school I mildly clashed with the teacher because I thought her school books were too easy and said so. She is on blue ORT, has been almost all of last term, reads them smoothly and fast, very little sounding out. Her phonics are good.
Teacher said she cannot go up, she isn't ready because she had tested her on red books and she sounds out words which means she has to stay on blue.

Today she came home with a green ORT songbirds book . We didn't read it. She read our home copy 6 months ago.
We read a blue band Start reading Freddy Family book which she read completely with no sounding out except the word pretending.

Can I ask
If she has been taught phonics, surely she should be allowed to read using a sounding out technique when she comes across a new word?

Are these Start Reading scheme book accurate on the band colours? (would make me feel a bit more confident in my view that she is 'under' performing in school).

OP posts:

mrz · 18/04/2012 20:38

I would expect a child in reception to need to sound out words.

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 20:47

Thanks Mrz
I can't see why my view and teachers view are at odds.
She is beginning to get despondant with school books hence library trips.
I know I am doing the right thing to pique her interest.

Just not sure how to (or whether I need to) take next steps

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Tgger · 18/04/2012 20:57

Hello. Have you tried some of the e books on Oxford Owl? Here is a page with some red books on www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Library/Index/?AgeGroup=4 They are really useful for getting an idea of where your child is at. They are free too! Then you can compare like with like- ORT is on there. I used it with DS and gave me confidence to find a level he could manage well but not in his sleep...

If it's any consolation DS is still bringing home reading books that are really really easy for him, we're just carrying on with our own books at home and I hope one day school will catch up . I am keeping them informed of what he's read at home via the diary.

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 21:08

Thanks Tgger
Yes, she reads red on oxford owl beautifully too.
Teacher was v defensive, body language - crossed arms, using words like "confident in my assessment of your DD", " no need to push her" (I'm not!)

It has made me paranoid and I feel labelled. I was even told to stop writing so much in the reading diary.

So either DD performs differently at school or they are not taking time to assess her properly because she can manage a lot more than they are giving her.

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Tgger · 18/04/2012 21:15

Oh, that's so frustrating!

DS's teacher is lovely and listens when I tell him what he can read at home and she read my list of ORT stage 5 and 6 books he has read over Easter (she asked me to list them so she could avoid giving him the same). Then he got given another RWI phonics book that we read about 3 months ago- from the TA. Hmmmmmmm.... so we didn't read it (like you), but did another Magic Key that he wanted to instead.

It's annoying isn't it when you want school and home to go hand in hand...ho hum....

Tgger · 18/04/2012 21:24

So.......don't know if there will be any more wisdom from other posters but my plan is to keep going with what we're doing at home as DS is really enjoying reading and loves the Magic Key stuff.

I also tend to write essays at the moment in the reading diary (!)- I think it's because we know there is a discrepancy that needs sorting out that we write a lot. I wrote a clear comment "please can DS try a Magic Key story or something else a bit different please". I spoke to his teacher before Easter who said she would give him this after Easter so I have hope it will materialise soon. I think maybe today was a blip as it was the TA doing the reading.

wigglywoowoo · 18/04/2012 21:24

I'm a little confused, why would you read a blue band freddie over a Green band Songbirds or is it a green cover songbirds01?

I think schools do their best to keep up with childrens progress but it can be a bit of a losing battle to keep up with the ones who are progressing well and quickly, with lots of home support. I think the focus is on those who don't get to read at home and are not progressing so well.

Has the teacher said anything about comprehension as this can often hold children back?

I would say just continue doing what you are doing and the school will probably catch up eventually and if not then at least she will have you supporting her progression.

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 21:42

Wigglywoo that is reassuring and does remind me that she does have good support at home. And boy is her comprehension good - I think it's so good she doesn't 'get' ORT books. She notices that the neighbour is incredibly nosy and obviously doesn't have any children of his own. I'm not sure if that is more comedy for the adult reader than the child.

Partly why I posted, am I getting book schemes mixed up?

SO on national book bands, a green songbirds book is band red (it's on the back cover). The Start reading books from the library have national book bands on the inside back cover and she easily reads blue.

This is two bands apart.

OP posts:

survivingspring · 18/04/2012 21:57

I admit we don't spend a lot of time on our school reading books as we have far more interesting reading material at home!! My DD sounds similar in that she reads pretty well but still sounds out certain longer words or more complex ones.

She's still on red level so obviously no prodigy but I just keep bashing on with her at home and haven't quibbled it with the teacher (been there, done that and never again!!)..

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 21:58

Surviving - why never again?

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survivingspring · 18/04/2012 22:01

Different teacher and different child but I got the same reaction as you did - very defensive, body language said it all 'how dare you question my assessment of your son' etc. We had a very strained relationship after that so don't want to make the same mistake with my DD's teacher!

slipslider · 18/04/2012 22:04

I would expect all children to use blending as a main focus for reading until year 1/2 according to the child - whereby a lot become able to sight read high frequency words, she needs to develop the 'sounding out' skill as if she doesn't do this when she comes across words in her reading in future she will not know what to do! I ensure all children are on a band where they have to 'sound out' words as it shows they are challenged...I begin to move them up when they are sight reading the words in that band and showing fluency....then in the next band the child will have to go back to 'sounding out' as they come across words they have not met yet!

mrz · 18/04/2012 22:15

I would expect most children to use blending whenever they encounter familiar words no matter what age (silently for older children)

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 22:17

slipslider that is in alignment of my views - she needs to be challenged!

I think DD can commit sight words to memory fairly well so having been a lurker on here, she is a lucky girl and reading will not pose a problem to her long term.

It's just frustrating to feel at logger heads with school

OP posts:

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 22:18

is that unfamiliar Mrz?

OP posts:

mrz · 18/04/2012 22:23

yes it should be un familiar

Tgger · 18/04/2012 22:31

Thanks slipslider- that was my idea of how to get the right reading level too. Books DS has had home from school since starting Reception (rough estimate....10), books he has read at home (rough estimate......50). Says a lot eh....

wigglywoowoo · 18/04/2012 22:32

mummiekins I just wanted to clarify if it was a green cover or a green band. I understand your frustration my dd was on red books from November to March and then according to the teacher made a huge leap in her reading and is on Blues (miraculously lots of children made that same leap in levels at the same time ). Over Easter one of the blue books that came home she had read at Christmas.

I got the impression that the book levels within the class are more to do with the phonic phase that they are working on in class (currently 4). Blue band is Phase 4 and 5 so we are working on Phase 5 alternative sounds at home.

I would check with your dd that she is not sounding out words she knows, as my dd was doing this as she knew that the teacher liked her to sound out words and she would get praise for sounding out correctly!

I think you need to pick and choose your battles carefully and reading bands is not worth arguing about especially as you are able to support your dd at home. Save the arguments for something that you are unable to assist with at home.

Tgger · 18/04/2012 22:36

Hee hee, re the sounding out.... reminds me when DS came home with Top Cat etc. Had read it in the Summer hols before Reception. Brought it home January and read it sounding it out. Hilarious! He was very definite that that was the way it should be done, along with the word sheets he brought home. Of course important to know how to sound out but not necessary if you already know the words .

slipslider · 18/04/2012 22:37

seems this teacher has rigid views....when i got my first class the class R teacher had not progressed any from band 2 as though she had a strict regime to follow and would not deviate, if i read through their old reading records they all had the same books and very few changes = weekly instead of when required...i started my HA on band 4 as this met their needs and within one term, one child had progressed to band 8. This child left me reading KS2 books and at a level 3C! Some asked for 2 books per evening! I was happy to oblige for parents who wanted to harness their children's enthusiasm for reading and let them flourish!

Tgger · 18/04/2012 22:42

Ah, if only we had a teacher of same mindset slipslider . Our teacher is lovely as I've said, but so far has seemed rather set/cautious in her approach to reading. So......I seem to be keeping amazon in business which at the moment I can afford to do which is lucky. It is rather frustrating though as these books could/should be coming from school along with similar encouragement/support as from home.

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 22:45

wiggly that's it exactly, the rest of the class are not in the same place - yet I know 2 other children in her class are being stretched and extended, but DD sits in 3rd place but above the next set who haven't mastered what she has. Likewise, she isn't quite up to the top 2.

She is her own little set really. And I think being held back.

Can anyone point in me to a good simple parent style explanation website about phases? I see phases 1- 5 a lot, but don't really understand it.

DD knows all letter sounds and names.
She knows ai ou ea 2 vowels go walking. She knows igh ie and oi oy and ai ay.

What is next?

She has high frequency words from school and is on year 1 words (ball, another, brother, call, can't and after this week)

OP posts:

Stopsittingonyoursister · 18/04/2012 22:50

My DS (4 but 5 in May) started YR in September and is a very good reader, currently assessed as being able to read at Y1 or Y2 standard (Phase 11 I think his latest one is, but I get a bit confused by all the different schemes and levels). However, when I discussed this with his teacher, she made the very good (I think) point that reading isn't just about being able to break down and blend words, but is also about understanding the emotions behind the text e.g. how does a character in the book feel, why do they feel like that, what might happen next in the story. DS' class read in groups, and because no-one else had the same ability as DS, he was going to be sent to Y1 for his reading, but we asked that he be kept with his peers so that he doesn't feel "different" and the teacher now sends home two books - one that DS has read with his class group, and one more complex book e.g. a play, poetry, story with specific questions for DS to consider to show and improve his understanding of the meanings behind the text.

Since this happened, DS has really come on in his understanding of stories. He also likes to be with his reading group in the class because he is able to discuss stories with other children and they all share ideas.

I have given DS books to read that I think will stretch him in terms of actual reading, but he just doesn't have the emotional maturity yet to deal with the themes of the books, and the nuances of the text, so he doesn't understand the story properly. This is what we are now concentrating on.

Just a suggestion, but have you tried using the books sent home from school to try and improve other areas of understanding and literacy e.g. trying to write the next chapter of the story, learning how to spell some of the words with the look, cover, write, check method?

slipslider · 18/04/2012 22:51

mummiekins if u go on phonicsplay, this is a parent friendly resource that I use with my children to play games with, it shows all the different 'sounds' in each phase and the tricky words in each phase! There are also nonsense words to show she is blending properly if she can read 'rud' as rud etc and sentence builders. It has a parents bit which should answer any queries!

Original poster

mummiekins · 18/04/2012 22:55

not done any look cover etc.
I assume you are literal - look at word, cover it, write it, check?
Her comprehension actually outweighs her reading ability, probably because we read to her so much.

She does spelling with her high frequency words.
She asks us now on Sundays how to spell things - because she does 'At the weekend' writing work on Mondays.
This week was rhinocerous (sp??) I taught her rhino

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