How are DC assessed on their reading?

[BornFreeButinChains]

Just read in another thread someone's child was assessed for reading.

I did not think they were and how are they.

When do they start to be assessed.

bornfree, some schools have long explanations as to why, even though they know the child is reading The Wind in the Willows in its original version she still has to read Biff & Chip Clean Spot the Dog at school. My guess is they believe reading that rubbish really is useful.

*how do you know she's feeling angry even though she's acting calmly?'

I asked this yesterday as Matilda acts innocent when her Fathers hat has been glued on, she understood that, she understood what suspicion meant, ( the father was suspicious of her) she understood jealousy ( its says the father is jealous of her reading).

I had to explain subtle to her.

From what I understand it all comes down to comprehension.

However we are getting comprehension sheets on level 6 books.

Sometimes the questions are so obvious she thinks they cannot be correct.

This is what I mean on how are they tested...

If they are testing on comprehension of a ort 6 level, they will only get that level of understanding.

If they could ask her questions on Matilda, then I would get a more accurate gage of her actual level!

My guess is they believe reading that rubbish really is useful

DD is in yr1 and has been assessed as a 3C and reads chapter books like Black Beauty and currently Charlotte's Web.

She does not get any scheme books from school anymore ( thank goodness!!)

She did an assessment which she told me about a few days ago which involved reading loads of words (30 in a yr4 list, 30 in yr5 and 30 in yr6).

This I guess is to gauge her reading age.

Ahhh pressed send too soon

However, she does guided reading in the classroom at ORT 7. However her teacher asks her questions about why certain words are used, how is a certain atmosphere created and she has to show understanding of the words used, give alternatives for certain words.

Tbh although DD has come on leaps and bounds in her reading this school year, I do feel it is due to what we do at home that has made the most difference rather than at school. But quite frankly they seem to be assessing her accurately (AFAIK) and the improvement she has made in literacy/maths (which is down to her amazing teacher) means she (DD) is having a fab year

Thanks Simpson that gives me a good Gage.

in my experience (as a parent) book bands can be way out.
mine have been choosing their own books since Y1. Teacher said my Y2 child is L4c. Can read loads of chapter books including Roald Dahl.
Was last level 6 in the ORT series about two years ago....
Definitely ask. and if teacher insists your child is ORT6 then ask what it is the school hopes she can get out of it/what they need her to do to go up another level.
In my opinion there's not much you can do with a ORT6 book. there's not much... depth to the text is there! Or mystery behind the words!
you could try a burts reading test online just to gauge reading age? (mine was 11 and a half at age 6 and a half). i know that doesn't tell about comprehension but it's pretty good evidence of decoding skills.
about quarter of class reading at this level.

Thanks Fluffy.

Some really useful guides here.

I am not sure how to phrase the question!

Politely!

What I can say is that the two times (reception/y2) I've thought my daughter was on the wrong reading level and raised it with the teacher, it turned out she WAS on the wrong level. Both times teacher perfectly happy to reassess.

Kids change fast, teachers busy, etc etc.

Sometimes the questions are so obvious she thinks they cannot be correct I wonder if this is the 'problem' if she won't say the answer in school because she thinks it will be wrong, they will think she can't do it... keep her on same level of book until she can understand/answer it...etc
As you have a parents evening coming up I would discuss it with the teacher from that level - "DD has been struggling with the comprehensions because she thinks the 'simple' answer is the wrong one and that you are looking for something more complicated. At home she is reading.... where she is inferring .... from the text and therefore she thinks she needs to do the same in the reading books. What sort of level answer are you expecting, or do you just want the simple answer? Can you encourage her in school to realise that these really are what you are looking for, as she doesn't believe me."

This gives the opening that your DD is reading at a higher level, that she can understand more than maybe she is letting on, and gives the school an example of where they can test her at.

I would never level a child's reading based purely on book bands (we don't use them) or on the fact they are reading Roald Dahl at home. Teachers take into account the child's reading in a range of activities sometimes using tests and tasks to help get a fuller picture.

For several parents that I've come across, the issue isn't whether or not the teacher uses a range of tests (she may use a range and she may not). The issue is that the child reads Dahl at home but is still sent home with Biff & Crap Wash Spot the Dog.

The teacher might be sitting in the classroom with a glittering display of the child's scores, averages and timed responses. But if mum has nothing but Crap the Dog books sent home, then the teacher's knowledge is not helping.

Mrz I have every confidence that the teachers in my DSs school are correctly setting their reading levels. I always know what they are working towards, if they have been on a particular level for a long time they have told me (without me asking) that they are assessing them but don't feel they are ready to move up for reason X. I have always been in agreement with that - hence me not asking why they are sat on a bookband for while. Equally when they have gone up a book band there is usually a brief explanation in their record as to why they have, and what they should now be looking at in their reading. Sometimes there are notes that they have tried a new band but they didn't have the confidence so they are staying on the same one.
However, at DS1s first school I didn't have that level of confidence. DS was reading things like Harry Potter at school and they were sending him home lists of really simple look and say words to learn. He asked for extra words, they said no. His reading books seemed so easy for him. I asked the school about it - they were sure they were right, they were also sure he was fine. In March of reception they then said they hadn't been able to pull him out from under a desk the whole time he'd been there. When we worked through that they realised he could read and could read well. He was put up to junior level books - slight issue that the policy was every book had to be read at every level so was being given 6 to read a night, but at least he was now reading at school.
In retrospect the school were working with him at the level he was in at school, and I completely understand that. But it would have been helpful if the hiding under the desk issues had been discussed earlier so I could have realised why there was such a discrepancy between his school and home work levels.
I think especially with PFBs there are more trust/confidence issues between home (assisted 1:1) levels and the work a child produces in school. It's why I don't like the I'll go in and demand a reading level change attitude which seems to emanate on MN, but equally there appear to be a large number of posters who say they have asked for a level assessment and within days their child zooms up the bands. It worries me, having seen the way that my children are constantly assessed in their reading, as to why other schools seem to not be doing so.

Mrz

Are you hinting there that my DD may need to be on ORT 6 for some reason?

I agree Little miss.

My worry also is, that they level the reading.

The last book book on ORT 6 was full of hints and tips on blending the words and to make the child say the tricky words.

she could read the book and didn't need the blending help or the help with the tricky words.

Good idea about the simple answers!

We had a policy that was even more stupid. When I asked for a different book colour I was told no; children of this age have to read these books. Sometime later the child got different books because, apparently, the policy had been changed.

My daughter doesn't read policies; she reads books.

Out of interest: to those who had teachers who insist on the kids reading these bollocks, what happens to the kids? What happens if you just let your kids not do it? Do they end up held back forever or at some point does the school simply have to acknowledge that they have a fluent reader on their hands?

If the teachers are using the current book band to tell how good the child is at reading then refusing to read the bollocks school books will result in the child being left behind (even if the child can actually already read Aristotle in Ancient Greek.)

If the school has a stupid reading policy there isn't much one parent can do except follow it.

DD refused to read her school books earlier on in the school year. They weren't way too easy for her (stage 10/11) just very dull.

I spoke to DD's teacher and said that as DD adores reading, I am not prepared to make it a battleground (over school books) so if she reads them then she reads them and if not then so be it iyswim.

Eventually DD was allowed to take in a book from home and read 121 with her teacher who put her straight onto "free reading" and so that was the end of school books (yippee).

Yes, but your school does come across as an understanding one, simpson. I don't think there's all that much understanding out there in general.

I also suspect that there is a line of thought which goes: as long as the child follows the official scheme then everything has been done by the book, whereas, if a child goes of on this tangent or that tangent there is some risk involved. So, best push all the children through the same sausage machine even if they can already read Aristotle in Greek.

BornFreeButinChains I am simply saying that NC levels should not be awarded by book band or by home reading material.

Ah Thanks Mrz, it does seem to me however they are grading her something has gone a rwy.

We shall see how it goes on parents evening.

In answer to fluffycushions, ds1 refused to read a school book from early y1 because they just didn't engage hime in any way (too easy ,too dul, couldn't be allowed to go above the reading level they kept for that yr group). He loves reading, I had tried on numerous occasions to raise it with his teacher (and just got " he is on target for his reading" in response), so I just ignored the school books altogether and continued to read with him and hear him read a wide selection at home. In y2 , his teacher after much dicussion, accepted this strategy and that was that. No more reading scheme.
Dd2 otoh loves biff and chip and soaks up every one she can get her hands on. Different school, however and she is being "allowed" to read at an appropriate level on the (fairly loosely applied) scheme.

when we last had parents evening the reading had just kicked off. I mentioned it and was told "we get this every year" I E parents angst over reading levels.

Its a strange conundrum.

If I was the teacher I would listen to parent, ask the appropriate questions...." OK, thanks for that, so your child is reading Matilda, do you listen to them out loud, how many words do they struggle on roughly, do you ask them about the text, OK whats their response" from there....I would then the next time I heard the child read, bear this in mind and then work out what to do.

I wouldn't dismiss the child or the parent.

If however on my own testing found the child to be lacking, I would tell the parent this in some meaty detail, and why.

If the child was more advanced than previously thought I would move them on appropriately.

I would explain how I came to my conclusions.

I know when it comes to PE its not going to be an open door discussion, its going to be me, feeling uncomfortable and nervous fighting to explain why I do not think stage 6 is appropriate.