Reading regression?

[SparklyStream]

DD is in reception, and making steady progress with reading (level 3 ORT for the last couple of months). Just lately though, she seems to have regressed a bit and has started to struggle with words and sounds that she was once quite confident on. Any clues as to what might be happening?

My son does not read as well when he is tired. Could it be the time of day affecting things?

could she just be very tired? It could be that as they are introducing new sounds it is confusing her?

I can't remember level 3 but has font got smaller yet? my daughter read easily until the font got noticeably smaller (about level 7 I think) and then she started to get a lot of problems which were down to a processing disorder. I don't think there is enough of a change in density of text or font size at level 3. they haven't changed to a different type of book have they?

DD is a very able reader who is also in reception but she was on yellow level the longest out of any level.

IIRC it's the first book to introduce some CH, TH, SH sounds (and I forget other ones).

I would second trying a different time of day and also how many times do you read the same book? Could she be bored of it?

Ive noticed this with my reception age son, this is the case for with maths etc aswell, I think they are just ready for a nice long summer break.

Some yellow books are harder than others.

Yes, it could well be the time of day, and also the book format has changed (from Floppy and gang, to a less repetitive style, science type of books). She does keep asking when the summer hols are coming, so perhaps her little brain is just ready for a rest. Good job you mentioned that, as my plan of attack was going to be more practice, but perhaps the opposite is needed.

ah if the style has changed that can have a big part to play. If she has got used to the style of biff chip and kipper then she will have learned the type of words used, the sentence structure used and will find them easier to read. This is one of the reasons schools use a mix of books as otherwise you can end up with children on high levels of biff etc but unable to transfer their reading effectively to other things.

It is the end of a very long year for a very little girl and I would probably just do the minimum for the next few weeks to be honest. You still need to practice to ensure she doesn't forget what she does know but I must admit my daughter is ready for a break. She has gone from reading every night to me forcing her to read 3 times a week because I feel she needs to do SOME. Over the summer try and do some every day, doesn't have to be scheme books, you know the sort of words she is reading, which sounds she is able to do so when you read a book together leave her to do the words she can or help her to decode longer ones. that way it will be a bit more interesting to her, she will still be practicing and hopefully when she isn't in school every day she will be less tired.

We found the Biff & Chip ones too easy and asked not to have them and we found the yellow science ones great because they were worth reading, and although simple they were like real books. Up to that point they were the best we'd had.

Well, DD hates non fiction with a passion and if given any by the school would kick off.

OP, I would casually mention it to the class teacher and maybe ask to go back to fiction for a bit.

OP - your DD may well be very tired and in need of the summer holidays. Whilst DD reads to me daily (she's in Yr1 and on white/lime level) if she is too tired, we just close the book and try again the next day. I have also found that DD prefers some books to others and she will sail through reading the ones she loves and will procrastinate over the ones she's not so keen on...

L&S - What do you mean when you say we found the Biff & Chip ones too easy and we found the yellow science ones great because they were worth reading? You are supporting your DD in her reading - it is not a joint venture. I found your comment a bit 'off' to be honest. The OP is saying her DD is struggling with a certain book for whatever reason and you seem to be crowing that we found those books easy .

Well, I suppose you can take my comments any way you choose. But for me they're a statement of fact. If home reading isn't a joint venture why do parents have to sign the reading diary?

I listen to my DD reading at home to support her learning and consolidate it - not as a joint venture of progression. Whenever you post about your DD's reading the comments are always we, not she. That's very telling, IMO.

DD seems full of beans still but DS (yr3) is very definately tired (not helped by his class room being v hot).

The teacher should want to support you in your child's path to learning to read so hopefully they will listen to your concerns.

I was in my DD's reception class for an hour today (my God she is different to how she is at home!!) The reason I was in her class was for a literacy workshop (to show how its taught in the classrooms). Does your DD's school do anything similar? I found it very helpful.

Telling of what?

If you don't know how my daughter learned to read the telling comments that you read so much into aren't actually telling you anything!

That you cannot differentiate between what you achieve as a team and what she can achieve independently!

That's reading too much into the comments. Do they say that I don't know what a reading test is?

Simpson, my DD is exhausted and I think the lovely weather is playing a part. I am a parent reader (in a YrR/Yr1 class) and I have noticed the difference in the children over the last week - they're stumbling over words they would have sailed over a few weeks ago.

OP, please raise any concerns you have with the teacher and I'm sure the teacher will be able to reassure you.

Bunnyjo - I agree, I read with yrs 1,2 and 4 and have noticed a difference.

Receiving reassurance is always nice. But, if a child of mine had actually forgotten how to read words that she could read effortlessly a few weeks ago, then I'd be seeking a lot more that reassurance.

Yes but it does depend on why.

For example the books are too easy ie the child is messing around...

The child is tired...

The child hates non fiction but loves fiction...

The child feels under the weather...

There could be loads of reasons why.

What Simpson said.

Reassurance doesn't mean ignoring the problem. It could be:

The teacher has also noted a problem and they have a plan to deal with it.

The reading in class hasn't been affected, meaning tiredness is playing a part.

Or in many other ways...

I plan to have a chat with teach next week, just to check all is tickety-boo. DD now (just today) moved up to level 4 and back to the fiction books, which she loves. So perhaps it's simply a question of preferring a story to a science lesson? I'll keep an eye on it anyway. Thanks all for the input. I do have to keep reminding myself - she's only 5!

it sounds like it quite possibly is just the style of the book she didn't like. My daughters love non fiction but many children don't. or at least not until the topics get more interesting.