Confused about DD1's reading level

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

DD1 is in yr1. Last week she was moved up to green reading level. However, the books she is bringing home have a yellow tree on the front and a green sticker on the spine which I guess the school put there. When she was on the previous level (blue?) they still had a yellow tree on the front and a blue sticker. So they look like yellow ORT books. I don't understand!

Because the tree is nearly always yellow :)

The tree on the front has nothing to do with the level of the book but the colour of the sticker on the spine does, yellow is yellow, blue is blue and so on.

You're joking? The tree is usually yellow? Oh God I'm such a numpty Thank you!

:o hear have some a whole bottle and you won't remember and if you do ya won't care!

Songbirds books are even more confusing - the whole of the cover of the book will be e.g. blue except tge picture and the yellow tree, then on the back there will be a tiny yellow tag saying book band yellow. Or green all over with a tiny red tag. They are just trying to mess with our minds!

What's the matter with these people? Don't they realise we're all obsessing about what books our children are on?? Why do they play with us like this?

I'm glad dd has moved up but green books take about 4 times as long to read :o

they get worse - 32 page biff and co books from stage 7... and if you are REALLY unlucky your school might still have some old jackdaw ones kicking around - they aren't biff etc although some are similar but whilst they are still only 32 pages the text suddenly increases drastically compared to the usual ones.

enjoy

Oh God really? I was close to hacking my head off after Chip and Wilf went on Safari this evening.

And there's also the Project X books. Matt, Cat, Ant and thingy and their micro-tracker and watches. Oh joy.

They are dire aren't they!! My dd found them dull as dish water and just non stories

DD hates the project X books and calls them "Those stupid books where people wear watches and shrink!"

Sadly my DS2 adores them. It's that Superhero vibe thingy isn't it?

And he loves Biff and gang.

I think he has been brainwashed in that school library.

DD1 said project x were for boys!

DD2 has quite enjoyed a few online but then I don't think the novelty of scheme books has worn off yet for her.

yes GwendolineMaryLacey - they are pretty unbearable after a while. Thing is as an occasional I don't think they are too bad but when it is one after another for months (years if you are particularly unlucky) on end it is just depressing. There are so many lovely children's books out there, I honestly think once they are past Book Band 6ish and have learned their phonics and blending then they should be able to read leveled 'other' books and experience the joys of reading.

DS probably would have loved them too but his school did not have them then. He adored Biff etc and was quite devastated when he finished ORT, odd child!

DD is the opposite and hates all reading scheme books with a passion especially ORT

Don't mention the jackdaw books. They make you want to nominate the Biff, Chip & Kipper books for some literary award. Seriously how can they manage to fill 32 pages. Just finishing Danger at Sea where some boy nearly drowns, there is a discussion of different lighthouses throughout history and the only vaguely interesting bit about Grace Darling. Dd2 has been stuck on this level for ever so we have exhausted all other books. She persists in wanting to not read school reading scheme instead of not reading books from home. I am sure it is actually easier when they go to chapter books which have clear stopping points and which have this radical new concept of a story line.

oddly my daughter actually didn't mind the jackdaws ones - but I think that was because she had exhausted all the non fiction books in the box and they had a tiny non fiction bit.

I believe that the United States has an amendment outlawing cruel and unusual punishment. And I think various other nations have a convention against torture and cruel treatments. But I believe all of these things should particularly be set aside for the authors of school reading scheme books.

Ah man, DD1 has brought home a Project X book, something about a drum kit. I can't wait...

when the books get longer, you don't need to read it all in one go ....

Dd2 likes biff and chip. Smile and nod (and before anyone gets cross with me, encourage and check comprehension as well as phonics ...). However, as one of her books today she has brought home one called "Losers?", which appears to be about a football team. How the jiggery am I going to get her to be enthusiastic about reading this? She hates football. I hate football. Wibu to send it back and say "we read something else instead"? She does get a mixture of reading schemes and some stuff which is not obviously "scheme",so lots of variety usually.