Y1 child bringing home reading books he finds challenging. Are they the right level for him?

[Aeroaddict]

I am curious as to how hard the reading books that are sent home should be. DS had been bringing home reading books that I thought were a bit to easy for him. He was able to read them fluently straight away, and we'd get through a book in 5 minutes.

This week, the teacher has moved him up a level, and it seems to be one extreme to another. The books he has now are full of words he doesn't know, and that aren't that easy to sound out, although he has had a good go, and doesn't seem worried by it.

So my question is, how hard should a child find the books they are bringing home? It seems to me that if they are too easy, he won't learn anything, but if they are too hard, it could knock his confidence. Is there a way of telling what is the right level? Thanks.

IME books on the same level can vary a lot.
So you could get a red book that's pretty easy and very decodable or one that seems a lot more challenging.
I would give it a chance but feedback to the teacher that the child struggled with it.

Agree with tweetytwat, books from different schemes can vary hugely in difficulty, for example the ORT ones are easier than most others even though they are stickered with the same colour. I read with a child in school this week and a pink level book had the words over, knocked and caught in, child couldn't even hazard a guess at them.

There is a finger rule which goes something like: one or two struggled-over words per page, no problem. Five struggled-over words per page and the book is too hard.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an opposite, whole book read in thirty seconds, too easy, rule.

I thought it was if a child reads more than 1 in 10 words incorrectly then the book is too hard, on green level this is probably 2 or 3 words per couple of pages.

DS2 (year 1) has moved up a level and it is really challenging him, this seems better than before when he could just read the while book without mistakes. I do understand about if they are too hard though but if he is not worried then don't make a fuss and help him with the words he doesn't know.

I write a note in the reading record if too hard/easy; I also like to go in & choose books for myself. Our school often gives out 2 books: one book on each level around the time they go up levels, to help with the transition. If I go in myself, they know & trust me, so I can get like 4-6 at once, too.

You could check early readers at the library, too (we have a lot of those). I reckon even too easy reading keeps them ticking over so fine by me.

We have this most of the times DD moves up a level and also in the level itself it varies a lot.

I normally add a comment in the book if DD struggles too much. We once had a non-fiction book about the earth. Honestly DH and I had trouble sounding out all the scientific names. A friend spoke to the teacher after her DD brought it home and it came out it was mis-labelled.

I think the level is probably right if the previous level was too easy BUT the style of that book is more challenging than the style of whatever he brought home on the previous level if that makes sense.

Our school split each level into 3 so they do the easier books at that level, then the middling ones then the harder ones. then go up to the easier at the next level and so on. This makes it more gradual and no sudden jumps.

I would put a note saying that this STYLE OF book seemed more challenging and leave it at that to see what comes home next.

unless it is an ORT one which has since been re-leveled as harder in which case the school might have it in a lower level than it should be

If a child can read between 90 and 95% of words correctly then it's at the right level. A book should have sufficient challenge that they can learn from it without it being so challenging they become demoralised.

Thanks for the replies, lots to think about. I think I'm just going to keep going with it for now, and see how he gets on over the next few weeks. If he starts to get demoralised I'll have a chat with the teacher.