What sort of reading level would you expect at the end of Reception?

[RobotElephant]

DD does ORT and I've not paid too much attention to which reading band she is on, as she seems to be progressing well. Another parent asked me what band she was reading and I had no idea

What level ORT would be normal for the end of reception?

One mum I know (not a friend) admitted to looking in her DCs friends book bag (they were at different schools).

Another mum at DSs school insisted on telling everyone what reading level her son was on in Y1 as she came out of parents evening, she also announced loudly how he was top of the class for reading, my friend turned round to her and said, well thats funny as MrsMelons DS is on such and such level as he read to me in class (that didn't happen so no confidentiality broken). Thank god I wasn't there the mum just spluttered a bit apparently and said well he is in the top group.

There was just no need for that and my gobby friend just couldn't help put her down a peg or two. I mean even if he was top of the class then it is insensitive to others around her to announce it like that at parents evening.

The children really do know who is on what and in what set even if the teachers hide it behind fruit names or shapes etc. If you're desperate to know then ask your DCs

Until recently I don't think my daughter was aware of the levels and then one day she just started talking about them. I think the teachers and TAs must either tell the children or talk about the levels in front of them because my daughter wouldn't have worked it out for herself.

I've just checked out the link above...and DS2 seems to be doing fine for his age. Won't say what, don't want to be accused of boasting! To be fair, I knew the colour he was on, and roughly where he is in the class because he keeps telling me. One of his friends is on the level above him / free reading, and he is keen (sometimes) to catch him up. Mrs Melons - you are dead right!

I can't get worked up about it - as long as he is enjoying reading and appearing to make a bit of progress.

Oh you will always be accused of boasting on MN

Learnandsay - I think they know because they change their reading books in class and there are boxes of banded books on the tables they can pick from, thats how DS and his friends know. Also their reading records are coloured to match the band.

DSs friend, who I look after, was telling me who was in the top group etc, she said she was in the 2nd group, I asked her how she knew she wasn't in the top group - she said because the clever children are in the top group! They are pretty switched on to it at school but beauty of infant school is that they don't really mind and its ok to be in whatever group. I assume that will all change in juniors.

I am kind of impressed that you lot know the colours so perfectly well, which is above which etc.
I haven't a clue, I think gold is near the top, and maybe black.
But then again maybe not.
Do some of you sit & study the colour charts in the evenings? Don't you have some paint to watch dry?

Well obviously, we've just painted the chart.

I do wonder why it is thought to be such a bad thing that some of us happen to be interested in how the whole reading schemes and things work. I do know the colours and roughly what order they go in and perhaps that makes me boring or perhaps it just makes me interested in my children's education.

Our new reading scheme has no colours or book bands or levels

What are you using mrz?

She's probably using books! They don't have bands or levels either.

Dandelion Readers and launchers in reception

Periwinkle - there's nothing wrong with being interested, I'm just lax.

I do have a problem with the parents who only find out and are only interested so they can compare their children with others though.

I don't care about colours and levels, but I find it a little strange that you could not notice what comes home each week. DS1 isn't all that keen on most of the school books and we tend to look at them enough to write something in the diary and then have something we both enjoy more, I still know what colour the boring books have on the cover. Unless you never look at their books or diary (we have a level colour on front of diary) I don't know how you could have no idea what level they're on.

the thing people don't realise though is that children aren't comparable.

will you tell Mr Gove Periwinkle

Oh I would LOVE the opportunity

Roderick the Red pirate and Gregory the Green : or does that just show my age.

That was kind of my point :)

LastOrders - we read the books,I know the stories (fecking Biff, Chip and Kipper), and I write notes in his reading book.

I know what level he's on now,but I didnt realise all the different colours were different levels, or know what the scale was.

Oh, school doesnt write levels anywhere either, I think they're all in fruit-related groups in class.

We use a mixture of lots of schemes with our own system of stickering - if anyone asks what level the children are on I am able to answer "bananas" or "oranges" etc. This was partly done to stop people nosing worrying about levels.

oh freaky cross post!

Yep we have fruit also (apparently the groups are in alphabetical order according to DS and his friends so apples the highest, then bananas), also shapes with hexagons being the highest, circles the lowest. Colours also, in alphabetical order. I had no idea, I stupidly thought it was random

I am not sure if that is correct but its what the DCs reckon. They are much more switched on to it all than we think (or the teachers have told them?)!