Is there a good reason why DS has dropped 3 book band levels?

[Lukethe3]

DS in reception has been progressing really well with his reading. He has gone up through the levels and is now comfortable reading Orange band books. The last 3 weeks he has been sent home with Yellow level books which are very easy and very boring. Before I ask the teacher I wanted to check if there is a good reason to do this. Does it boost their confidence to read easy books? Will the teacher think I'm a PITA if I question this?

It's probably a mistake. If he was comfortably reading orange and is bored by yellow I would go and question it. I would ask if there is a reason why.

Orange is very close to yellow - have they been put in the wrong place and it's just a simple colour mix up. Or ds is picking up yellow thinking they are orange etc?

Just ask - no reason to think you are a pain. It could well be a mistake.

Oops hit send by mistake.

I'd use that as the opening strategy if you end up talking to his teacher, then it looks like you're not accusing her of downgrading your son and thus questioning her wisdom, but just saying you think there's been a silly mix up...

Hi Lukethe3:

Before you think he's been moved back - just as a warning - be aware that sometimes guided reading is 'whole class' - because literacy work for the entire class may be based on that book.

We have hit this in KS1 with both DDs and been a bit surprised.

If this is just the one book - then just check with friends first and see if their DCs are reading it too at the moment. It may just be the usual case of school knows what it's doing and never mind that it may appear strange to the parents.

If it's been happening for three weeks it seems like a bit of a long mistake. I'd be inclined to ask about it.

I would definitely question it. the first time was probably a mistake and then book changes since may have been by a TA who wasn't aware of the normal reading level so just uses the previous book as a guide. it is possible it is because they want to work on expression or something else like that and it is easier to do this on books the child can read more easily but that sounds like a bit too much of a drop.

How old are the books he's bringing home? My son's school has their own levels (colours) and has some of the older lower level ORT books (published before phonics) with the current higher level ORT books because they contained words that wasn't easily decodable but are ok for a reader on a higher level.

I agree, likely to be a mistake.
Someone put a yellow in with oranges, and it got picked out.
Subsequent listeners have just changed it for the same colour again.
Easily happens.

I listen to yR in our school and (because I have been doing it for years) I know to cross check to correct this, and it does happen.

Our TA is pretty hands on and I think would easily spot something like that.

If it's anything to do with teaching expression (which hopefully it isn't) mum might want to know about it. Because some of the lower banded books are worse than useless for that purpose. He'd probably be better off on orange. (But it's a digression because it might have nothing to do with that.)

My DS in reception went through a phase of choosing a lower book band to fit in with some other boys. His teacher (once she knew) used to stick an appropriate level book in his bag as well. After a few weeks, he went back to selecting the right level himself of his own accord. Just a thought - is the cool kid on yellow?

update?

Ok, was brave and spoke to the teacher this morning. It has been done for two reasons. Firstly they are discussing books in their reading groups so the standard has to fit with the lowest ability in the group, and secondly to give the kids a confidence boost at reading something easy. I'm happy with that explanation and will keep reading orange level with him at home.
Thanks all.

OK, someone needs to explain that to me! If a teacher told me that I'd have steam coming out of my pants big time.

Isn't that the equivalent of the police coming round to your house and saying there are people on your housing estate who can't drive, so we're taking your license away.

Hmm, I'd be a bit pissed off if our school did that. They need to stretch all of the pupils! Not drop the more able ones back.

I wouldn't be very happy with that myself. My daughter is in reception and on book band 10/11 (she can choose from either). What the others in the class are capable of reading should have nothing to do with her reading book IMO. If they want him to know what the book they are discussing is about then great send it home as well but not instead of a level appropriate book.

Reading is about more than just decoding words. Often children can read really well but their comprehension is not as strong as it might be. Using easier texts is often employed by teachers to secure comprehension skills, work on inference, plot, characterisation etc.

It seems to me that you have a great teacher - ensuring that the whole group can participate in a discussion about a book is wonderful and inclusive. It teaches children empathy - a trait that a few adults could adopt.

I'm sure that this is just a short term exercise as no teacher will deliberately keep their more able children "down".

Look beyond the book levels. If your child is making good progress you know it.

We tolerated the reading scheme books - they are universally dull - and read whatever we liked at home.

The whole class can discuss a story without making one child spend three weeks and longer reading unsuitable books, raisin. The higher up the scheme you go the less stupid the books get. So it makes sense for the boy to progress upwards rather than downwards. If he wants to show an interest in some yellow books so that he can discuss them with the class I'm sure he can read them in school. Yellow books don't take long to read and if he's that good at reading he'll manage in no time. No, the teacher has got this badly wrong and I'd be raising merry hell.

but sometimes RaisinBoys a child can read with exceptional comprehension, expression, use of punctuation and so on at a much higher level than the majority of their peers. My daughter uses easier texts in the classroom, I know this and I agree that there is good reason for it but her HOME reading book is for HER level.

Interestingly different attitudes here. I haven't got steam coming out of my ears. I'm sure DS will be sent home with orange books again soon. I'm happy that a few weeks on yellow will not affect his future too much.

Oh for goodness sake learnandsay is your default setting to over react?

OP sounds on top of the situation and I suspect her DS will be more than ok. "Raising merry hell" as you suggest, in these circumstances, would be the act of a petulant child.

just been reminded me of why I took a break from this forum.

Of course if raising merry hell involved throwing myself on the floor, screaming, tearing at my hair and thumping the carpet.

But somehow I suspect those aren't the things that I'd be doing, funny that.

You sound extremely sensible Lukethe3 ...it isn't a race and often children can focus on the higher level reading skills when the text is less challenging so benefit from lower level books.