Should my reception twins be on higher reading levels?

[lovessummer]

My 5 year old twins are nearing the end of reception & every time I read reception reading threads on here, it makes me worry! One is on green ORT & one is on blue. We read loads of books etc in the house & I realise i could push it more, but to be honest, feel they are knackered most evenings and want to relax at weekends. They get two books a week & we read them a few times during the week. They are always confident by end of week if not on first or second read through. But by end of year, they are clearly not going to be on higher levels. It's a pushy middle class school, so I am presuming most of the other kids will be on higher levels. (One mum said in passing her child had been given a poetry book last week) On MN all the children seem to be on much higher levels by end of reception. I guess what I am asking is should I be pushing them more and going in to request more books, as I know they are capable- they are bright and engaged with a love of books? Or shall I just leave it to work itself out & not pressure them in their last few weeks of school? We'll do lots of reading over the holidays I am sure. Are they reassessed in September? Maybe they could catch up then?

learnandsay- its not about getting upset if another child is on another level. And its not an insecurity complex. It's about wanting to do the best for my children and not really knowing what I should be doing. My twins are not struggling with reading, and they come from a family who loves books and reads all the time. Both my DH and I could read before we started school, but we haven't pushed the children at all other than to support school and offered opportunities at home. They don't seem to have problems with reading (apart from a slight reluctance in one to practice). My concern is whether we are doing enough to help them reach their potential and the stage they would be expected to be at at the end of reception. I think its reasonable to seek advice from other parents around the country via mumsnet. I am concerned in case, by not being pushy ours aren't at the same level as their peers. I don't want them to be left behind because we haven't been going in and demanding new books etc. The teachers seem pretty competent and they are clearly learning a lot in all kinds of areas. But it just seems that perhaps they could have been achieving a little more in terms of reading. But I don't know if that is reasonable- hence my posts

love, my post was in response to reallytired's last reply. I don't think you've got a mumsnet complex!

MN can be a terrifying place!
My DS is on yellow and is in the top reading group in his school. I think he is doing brilliantly :)

ReallyTired I like reading Mumsnet, far from giving people a complex I think it gives them perspective.

I don't think everybody on Mumsnet are pathological liars. I actually think there is a huge variation in how individual teachers teach reading with reference to reading schemes, often even within the same school! Realising this(from Mumsnet partly) has actually made me more secure about my child's abilities since you realise how arbitrary the assignment of a reading scheme 'level' can be.

Doing some further reading you them find out how the reading scheme levels are compiled, you realise how problematic trying to grade books in terms of difficulty is. (Prior knowledge, regional language variations, interest levels in terms of comprehension, for example, are hugely individual components and not easily manufactured).

I don't actually think the reading scheme book tells you much about levelling at all. What you need are the teacher's assessments with reference to the National Curriculum. This at least shows what the children have demonstrated they know at school, although not their actual ability, as depends on the frequency of assessment....etc etc.

learnandsay-Oops. Sorry for the defensive post-assumed it was directed at me!

No worries. No apology necessary.

The one thing to add is ignore 'free reading' on Mumsnet every school allows free reading at a different point so it is impossible to compare this between schools. Even when there is free reading it can be really controlled at DD's school even in year 5 and 6 they maybe free readers in that they can choose the book themselves, but their choice is limited and is banded. So they are told can choose any book from the blue and red stickers.
Personally I attach very little importance to free reading and levels and tend to ask more about reading age.

Aren't all children "free readers" ie free to choose what they read?

I'd be pissed off if my dc were told what to read in year 5 and 6.

Blueskies Children are still told what to read in secondary!

Thankfully they still can read their own books as well.

DD just moved to Green and I'd say is in top quarter of class, at a wild guess. Pushy middle class outstanding school too, fwiw. She reads fluently and confidently and most importantly is improving continuously and starting to read books for fun by herself at home. I have friends who have given reward trips to the zoo or suchlike for each new level, and I can't imagine a better way to kill off enjoyment in reading for the sake of it. It's not a race. Try not to listen to nonsense such as 'blue/green is not brilliant for reception'. If they are enjoying themselves and progressing, then they're doing fine.

Do not worry about it, just read them stories at night.

But choosing books for individual reading in your own time which is what I presume you're talking about is different to guided reading or studying books at school.

Some kids will have been more than capable of choosing their own books for some time by year 5 and 6. I don't see the point of a blanket policy re banded free reader books.What happens if they've read them all or don't like them? One of my avid reader dc is choosy,he reads a lot because he knows what he likes and has access to what he likes, another reads piles and piles so he'd have a limited choice if limited at school.

"I'd be pissed off if my dc were told what to read in year 5 and 6."

Children are free to read whatever they like in their lesiure. School libaries are not the only source of reading matter.

My son tends to pick very easy books that are relaxing. If we was not occassionally pushed outside his comfort zone then he would not progress with his reading. In year 6 children are encouraged to read more challenging books in their literacy lessons. They also develop advanced skills like inference, analysing text in their lessons.

There are times when even secondary school children have to read certain books that prehaps don't interest them. (Ie. set books for GCSE English) It takes at least ten years of education to become a truely proficent reader.

Up until uni you're still getting told what to read. But at any of the stages in between nobody wants to be randomly telling pupils or students to read this or to read that. There has to be some logic behind it. (And if there's logic behind it, it's always possible that the teacher has got the process wrong.) The best thing is to publish the logic so that interested people can see what's what for themselves. (Surely it makes more sense if you know why you've been told to do something.)

The thing is the more they read the better their spelling,creative writing etc.Being restricted to school bands in your own time in year 5 and 6 would pretty much ensure my kids read a lot less.

Tell them what to read in school time but at home sorry my dc read what they like.

Blue I agree.

It seems to be the way of the world now though, advice is everywhere.

My DC also has to do a comprehension test on every reading book, (from memory). At least I suppose it prepares the way for all the exams!

My DTs are nearing the end of year 1 and are reading, just about (one is rather better than the other). They certainly weren't at the end of reception, though they were writing their names, sounding out the alphabet, etc.

Their birthdays are mid-July and they're half the size of some of the kids in their class, which makes a bit of a difference (though less so as time goes by).

We were getting concerned by Christmas but they seemed to "get" it in the spring and have moved on since then.

Don't upset yourself comparing your children to other people's - and don't believe everything they claim either.

Daft

Blue I know. He knows all about what percentage needs to pass, revision techniques, best time to read, be quizzed and will discuss why some books are easier to 'remember' than others.

Blue I am referring to their school reading book they can read what they like in their free time. Actually the system i am describing they choose their development book from the banded books in the classroom and can have up two pleasure books from the library. Do you still not still read some books for pleasure and some books for development - I certainly do.
My point to the OP is don't get hung up as you have heard some children are free reading in reception this means different things in every school.

So when do the they find the time to read their "pleasure books" if they're ploughing through development books each week?Can't they develop by reading a extract,poem,short play etc?

Not being funny just interested.

"So when do the they find the time to read their "pleasure books" if they're ploughing through development books each week?Can't they develop by reading a extract,poem,short play etc?"

Children benefit from reading a range of authors and genres. In key stage 2 children have to write in a range of genre and this easier if they have read a range of genre.

"So when do the they find the time to read their "pleasure books" if they're ploughing through development books each week?Can't they develop by reading a extract,poem,short play etc?"

Some children hate fiction books, where as some children (like my son) only read fiction. If a child reads nothing but sci-fi then they limit their horizons. Ideally a child might read an extract, poem, short play, comic, encycopedia, newspaper, street signs, internet page etc. Its realising that people use different styles of language for communicating in different circumstances.

Surely there is time for both work and play. If they spend ten minutes a day on their "development" book then they still have plenty of time for other reading.

Some children read a lot of genres,still not sure why 10 minutes of the same book for weeks is better than 1 poem,extract,short story,letter etc

I know what you are saying Blue, you want a child to be able to develop their own taste and read for its own sake.

However the curriculum is so packed, you cannot just leave them to their own devices entirely. It is sort of like the argument against homework, or too much homework. We just view the reading book as a homework activity and fit it in with that.

Leisure time books are where my DC gets to choose. Sometimes he chooses books / authors that have been introduced through school, sometimes not.

Too much homework is just too much homework and boring homework is boring homework, doesn't matter what subject it is.

Also if they're allowed free choice in the library but just 10 minutes of their development book surely that is being a free reader and not quite what loan said.