Why has Year 2 teacher sent DD home with a ridiculously easy reading book?

[pokesandprodsforthelasttime]

Granted it's only the 2nd week of term and the teacher probably hasn't got round to assessing all 30 children yet.

But surely they should know which book band she left Year 1 on?

Is it my job to let them know where she's up to via the reading record?

Yes, I do think its optimistic, unless things have changed. Perhaps they have: Im willing to be told they have. Gove has made some big improvements and the focus on sound basics is one of them.

I repeat again my question, for the teachers on the thread, since they haven't actually answered it:

People on this thread have [...] questioned why their children have been given books very markedly under their reading level, sometimes for extended periods, with no explanation whatsoever by the teacher. Is that really not a reasonable concern in your book?!

I'd find it extraordinary if you told me that it was common practice, for a child who has moved beyond all the book bands to 'free reader' level, to send them home with books on say red or blue level, without any explanation, and for weeks on end. And if you could honestly assert that you can't possibly see why that would demotivate a child, well, words fail me.

And thanks Crumbled:) We are clearly on the same page (see what I did there...)

Ah, I'm afraid you've lost me on Gove, though, sorry!

ho ho thunk

Yes, I believe we are

Firstly impecuniousmarmoset book bands cover up to the equivalent of NC level 6 (expected level at the end of KS3 and GCSE pass level) so very unlikely any KS1 pupils will have reached that point to be a "free reader" so the term is pretty meaningless as it's use in schools can mean literally anything. We don't have "free readers" even those children in Y6 working at level 5 are still learning.

CurlyhairedAssassin assessment again varies from school to school but many use a combination of ongoing assessment based on classroom reading (not necessarily from reading scheme books) some schools use guided reading sessions, some individual, some class reading, reading assessment tests - single word reading, sentence reading, combined word accuracy & comprehension tests, optional SAT papers, commercial published tests.

We use a combined sentence and comprehension test each term to support ongoing classroom assessment and termly phonics decoding checks.
The child reads a series of sentences (1-1) which increase in difficulty and answers questions relating to each sentence - questions are straightforward retrieval of information from the text and inference. Children are marked on fluency and expression. From this we can calculate a reading age/comprehension age/percentile rank/age standardised score and National Curriculum level. Phonics screening looks at a child's knowledge of sounds to spellings/ability to decode & encode and manipulate sounds within words. This backs up teacher judgements based on reading in a variety of contexts not just reading scheme books, which personally I find least useful.

impecuniousmarmoset teachers allocate the books they feel best meet the child's needs and yes sometimes they make mistakes but often it is because they feel the child has been placed on an inflated level that meeting their wider reading needs and yes having to do so is a concern for the teacher as well as the parent.
I would also say moving a child down the levels is less demotivating in the long term than the impact of failing to develop appropriate skills will have in the future

Thanks, mrz, very helpful.

I do think that, as professional as I'm sure all the teachers are on this thread, that in the real world some teachers are better than others. I've had conversations with my kids' teachers where I've come out and thought "are you sure we're talking about the same child?" And you end up having little confidence in the teacher's ability to understand your particular child's needs. Conversely I've talked with teachers the following year who have instantly filled me with confidence that they are good and enthusiastic at their job, who know my child as an individual and where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

I think that it is very hard to be a primary school teacher these days - so many pressures and so much expected of you. However like in any profession there will be weaker ones and there is always the possibility that they are NOT assessing children accurately in reading and giving de motivating and unchallenging texts.

My DC school only have the reading scheme up to stage 11.

A child is a "free reader" after that but will still read scheme books for guided reading.

A child is not allowed to free read until they are a NC level 3.

Impecunious, FWIW, I think the critical point in your question is that of 'no explanation'. That is the bit where I would say that the teacher is at fault, as in any such dramatic change I would see it is absolutely critical that the parent should be informed, brought on side, and, crucially, involved in the process of maintaining the child's motivation.

When I have had to change a child's reading books dramatically, I have always discussed it with parents as soon as practicable, have talked through the issues identified, and have also agreed on a plan to manage the child's motivation (a general atmosphere of loving books, and reading a wide variety of books every day in school 'for their own sake' and not just 'for their dificulty' will always help, as will making sure that the child has a wide variety of 'other' reading matter available to them at home, from the library etc).

IME the short term demotivation at the change is usually very quickly replaced by the motivation of making rapid and secure progress because of the gaps that have been filled - as mrz has said, because of / despite her poliocy of moving children down if necessary, her pupils make huge progress during the year and they will LOVE that feeling. Ditto my experience with pupils - the short term 'hmph, my 500 page book that I couldn't understand has been replaced by Mr Majeika' is rapidly overtaken with the 'Ah, I really understand this book and find it really funny, and everyone says how well I'm reading - and I've finished 6 books this week' feedback loop.

(On assessment, we use a commercial scheme - somewhat adapted - in which the child reads a passage one to one to a teacher while the teacher notes errors and reading behaviour such as fluency, self correction, expression, approach to unknown words etc etc etc. They are then asked to re-tell the key points of what they have read. This is followed by comprehension questions at literal, inferential and higher levels. It's much more 'fine grained' than reading bands and spits out a varity of information, which helps us to determine not only what level the child is at but also where they may have gaps - decoding, comprehension at different levels, expression, use of punctuation etc. We use it to plan not only individual readers but also to group children for guided reading: children may be grouped for a few weeks not only for the book level but also for the type of teaching points that we will address in guided reading.)

Thank you teacherwith2kids. I think you are right that it is entirely about communication. And why I had such a problem with the 'well they probably have an excellent rationale for doing this' angle on the OP's problem.

Because to my mind, the key point is that the teacher in question is sending books home that are years behind where the parent and child thought they were at. Sending books home is effectively setting homework. In the early years of primary, if you set homework without telling the parent the basic rationale behind it, and how they can best assist with it, then that is a waste of time - as in this case, where the book will most likely just stay in the bookbag. And if a teacher is doing this for weeks on end, that is totally unacceptable.

Which is why my money is on this particular teacher not having a clue. What teacher worth their salt would put a child back the equivalent of 2 years worth of reading books without telling either child or parent what they were up to?!

If the child won't read to the helper they assume that they CANT read it.

CurlyhairedAssassin the reason I've had to drop children by up to 5 levels in the past was because the previous teacher wasn't professional and allowed children to progress through the scheme based on pleasing parents and being liked rather than on the child's needs

Simply not true Peachtjustpeachy ... reading to a "helper" is just one instance of reading within normal classroom practice used to build up the picture of the child as a reader.

Curlyhaired,

" However like in any profession there will be weaker ones and there is always the possibility that they are NOT assessing children accurately in reading and giving de motivating and unchallenging texts."

There is also the opposite issue - that weaker teachers could not be assessing children accurately and could be allowing / pushing them through texts too fast ... inaccurate assessment could be over-assessment as well as under-assessment.

Tbh it is MUCH worse to be the teacher following one who has over-assessed than it is to be the teacher following one who under-assesses - and IME over-assessment is somewhat more common than under-assessment, because [as this thread shows] it can be very hard to say to a parent that no, where their child has ben assessed is where they need to be at this precise moment, despite Little Johnny being x book bands higher.....

Peachy, as the mum of an ex-selective mute (and excellent reader, always accurately assessed except for a short settling-in period on starting each new school) I can assure you that not reading to a 'helper' is definitely not held against a child when assessing their ability to read ... though as an input to guide their social development, it is very interesting evidence!

(The one-sidedness of the pressure on teachers from parents is clear from the fact that the OP would never have been posted if the child had been moved UP several book bands after a holiday. It is only a movement 'down' that is seen as an issue - and we are human, we are not made of granite, sometimes pressure can get to some teachers some of the time)

My 6 year old dd is a 'level 3 reader' and FWIW, I would be appalled if her school said that she is a 'free reader'.

My Y2 son has on occasion bought books home which in terms of the actual words seem a little easy, when i asked the teachers (both in Y1 and y2) why this might be they both said that they like to sometimes becuase its not just about the actual difficulty of the words, but also making sure children understand and comprehend the story content and practice correct expression and these are 'easier' to practice and understand when they can actually read all the words confidently.
Yes we like him to get books which 'test' his ability to decode and blend etc but he's now beginning to understand grammar and expression too rather than just being able to read words but not really understand what the book is about.

Christinarosetti - why would you be appalled if the school told you your dd was a free reader? Just interested!

Our reading scheme only goes up to lime level so all children are considered free readers after that.

Because at 6 she needs guidance and direction in choosing suitable books

And help to develop higher reading skills.

so when a child gets to level 2A/3C they know everything they need to know about reading itsnothingoriginal?

Sorry mrz - I genuinely don't understand what your question means

I was simply asking why the poster would have be appalled about her dd free reading???

I suppose I was surprised by that reaction because a lot of yr2 children at our school will be free readers age 6/7.

We have a free readers box from which the children can choose themselves with parental and teacher guidance.

the question is quite simple itsnothingoriginal ...your reading scheme books stop at NC level 2a/3c so presumably the school believes that they have nothing more to teach children once they reach that level?

As a parent/teacher/SENCO/literacy coordinator the whole "free reader" con appalls me too.