DK Reading level equivalent to ORT

[Carpediem2007]

Hi,
DS is in Year 1 and on level 6 of ORT, getting more confident with small chapters and reading more fluently now (at last).

We bought some Star Wars learning books from DK Readers in the Book People Company a while back. These books are labelled 'beginning to read level 1 and 2' and clearly these levels have nothing in common with the Oxford Reading Tree.

Can you give me a clue at what level in ORT he will be able to read these DK books, what is the equivalent reading level for them?

He has read the ORT Home collection up to level 5 that I had bought last year and has now run out of home reading books. What do your DC read at home? I am considering the Reading Chest distance library to bring more variety at home.

Thanks for any suggestion.

DS is also in Year 1, and also on Orange/level 6 ORT. I had a look at the DK Star Wars books and I think they look about level 6/7 ORT.

I have got some of the Horrid Henry Early Readers in a big bulk pack. Whilst I think some of the stories are very thin, the 'toilet' humour seems to appeal to DS who thinks they are hilarious. I also got him some of the Kingfisher Readers books - one about Dinosaurs and one about Minibeasts. They are too long to get through in one sitting, but he seems to get on with them.

I might try DS with the Star Wars books as he is totally obssessed with anything to do with it.

He was most impressed the first time he was able to read all the subtitles in one of the films!

Thanks, I will try the dinosaur and mini beast books from Kingfisher. DS tried the Star Wars books in September and it was rather painful as he was determined and read one but this was too hard for him then (He was level 5 then).

The pound shop had some basic Horrid Henry books a few weeks.

I bought 2 for my DD (also stage 5/6).

It is worth checking out your local library for books too. My library has a reading scheme called "start reading" which seems to be levelled the same as the school books ie yellow,blue,green etc etc..

same as simpson, the start reading books at the library are very good. my daughter has really enjoyed them and they seem to be on par with the other leveled books. we also have hopscotch and colour crunchie books at our library but i dont know if they are the same colour banding but she also enjoys them. I wouldn't bother buying too many 'leveled' books they go through them quite quickly and if anything like mine are reluctant to read them again when they are past that level so they just sit on the shelf.

That's my problem, Houseworkproscrastinator, once DS has read a book, he won't read it again. On the other hand, the books we read him, he likes listen to those again and again. favourite ones at the moment are the Winnie the Witch books.

Me too,it's like DD eats them tbh!!

That's why I use the library so much ( and yes I do use reading chest too). Check out the Oxford owl website too as it has free ebooks to read...

I also go to 2nd hand shops to see what they have for DC.

Over the summer I got a whole set of "my animal kingdom" books (40 of them) for £5 and DD is just starting to get into them (reading about elephants ATM).

Quite funny thing happening here though... DS is re-reading his ORT Magic Key books now his mates are reading them. Found him with a big pile of them on his bed the other evening . He was enjoying the Riddle Stone in particular which I think he understands a bit more now (not sure he quite "got" it when he read it in YR).

DD still loves the ORT set that lead up to the magic key (when they move house).

I found her reading them in bed the other day, I found these books in a second hand shop too. I love a bargain!!

Our local library has a shelf of early readers, all graded, and my dcs choose them and part of the process is learning to judge if a book is too hard or too easy.
Also reading at home kids often like easy books rather than ones at their reading level, so I don't mind if they pick up easier books *they have school readers to keep them moving on)