Does it matter that the book levels ds has aren't consistent?

[Neverwasacornflakegirl]

Ds is nearly 5, some weeks he has red band books (stage 2) and some days he has blue band (stage 5). I know they vary across the reading schemes but they have the colour on them where the school have obviously tried to make the books fit in certain bands.

He finds stage 5 too hard but stage 2 and 3 quite easy. Stage 4 seems about right but it really does seem hit and miss.

Is that usual? Last week he had a blue band book, today he's got a (much much much easier) red band.

Are they part of the same Phonics-based reading scheme, or are they of the older ORT-type schemes? Is he in Reception, or Yr1?

Is he happy to read with you? If so, and he is on a stage 5 book which you say he finds hard, there will presumably be words he does know, or can sound out. In that case, I personally don't see why you shouldn't 'fill in' for him the words he can't sound out or doesn't recognise. This 'filling in' technique is one I used to use with reluctant or very poor readers when I was a TA working with Yr2 children.

I worked in schools for twenty-five years, and there were obviously many changes in teaching methods during that time. Now retired, I still keep in touch with what is going on via MN, and I have always had a flexible sort of approach to things. Thus, I don't like it when one hears of schools that insist a child goes through EVERY book in a particular 'band' before being allowed to move up to the next band. But, conversely your school does, as you say, seem a bit hit and miss.

The important thing is that he doesn't become worried or stressed, and he makes reasonable progress at reading (and writing) and eventually becomes a competent reader who enjoys books.

(Other people may frown upon my attitude, so use any replies you get, in whatever way seems appropriate to you and your child.)

It sounds a bit like our school where some books are graded as more tricky due to one or two words. I think that there was one which was originally red regraded as green because it was about a bike parade and the i_e sound isn't covered at that stage in phonics. It was on every page but the more canny reader ends up just sight reading (which is what the book was originally designed for).

Another possibility is that in choosing his books there isn't enough supervision by someone who knows him and his level. My dc choose their own books with a TA/parent helper. If they don't know which level the child is on they might not notice if they take from the wrong box or a book has been put in the wrong box.

Does the reading record indicate which level he should be on? If he should be on 5 but he is finding it tricky it is possible that they assessed him on a book he was finding easy but he wasn't quite ready to read all books at that stage. If he gets two books a week maybe ask the teacher if he can have one 4 for confidence and one 5 to stretch him for a few weeks.

He only gets one book a week. My feeling is that he is a stage 4. Apparently they choose their own books when they finish the phonics books that they all started on.

I'm not thrilled with this tbh. Some weeks we get books which stretch ds but aren't too difficult, others we get ones which are too difficult and then we sometimes gets ones which are practically back at the beginning of where he was when he started school!

It might be worth asking if you could come and help him choose his book. I have done that when I wanted to understand the origins of the magic key . He probably isn't quite at the stage of independently choosing his own book. You can have a chat with him about which type of book he usually enjoys and point out how to recognise them. Get him to look on the back for the stage too. He should be getting this support through the school but you can do it with him if they aren't willing/able.

Sounds pretty disorganised and random to me.

Is it a case of not enough books to go around? At 5 he can't have finished all the phonics books they have.

I'd be asking the teacher about this. Perhaps it's a new TA who isn't familiar with the scheme/ colours yet.

Hi Neverwasacornflakegirl:

It sounds to me like he's exercising his free choice. Don't be too dismissive of books he finds easy (many children adore illustrated children books and hate unillustrated chapter books for example). Perhaps, try and supplement an easy selection with some more challenging reading (from school library book, local library, books at home, magazines, etc...) if you're concerned he should be doing more.

DD2 had a teacher who went through an odd phase of sending home (so these were selected by the teacher) books that were way too difficult for children - but this was her way of then having the proof that child a or b wasn't coping on that table and she could then reorganise reading groups.

This often meant that DD2 would be happily reading for weeks at her table (books where 90 - 95% of the words were easy for her to pronounce correctly) and suddenly given a book she found impossible (would struggle nearly every sentence with words). And then she'd be moved down a table - something she found very humiliating and left her dejected for weeks. [I stress I have never pushed about DDs being on certain tables - only about lack of books sent home, lack of homework/ opportunities to reinforce learning at home].

On the bright side He's making selections out of interest, influenced by a snazzy cover or an exciting topic - and when they're tricky - well it just means you have to do a bit more work supporting his reading - but it's brilliant he's not frightened to be interested in books he finds hard to read.

HTH

They have the dandelion readers up to unit 10. Once they've finished these they seem to have free choice of what book to bring home.

Also because they only change books once a week it means we get stuck witna too easy or too difficult book for a week sometimes. I do get other books from the library etc but I feel this is important and really school should be on top of it too.

Perhaps I will ask if I can just pop in and help him choose as suggested. Maybe that will help.

that doesn't sound very good to me. I don't know the dandelion books but from the sound of things at the end of unit 10 they aren't fluent readers (or he would be able to read the harder books) so therefore once they finish the dandelion ones they should, in my opinion, then move across to the book bands and choose from within a level which is right for them.

My girls choose/chose from the box they were told to, so they were able to choose their own book based on what they liked but it was from a set level. Each level in their school is in sub levels as well so at say book band 5 there are 3 levels with I would estimate about 40+ books in each level. some are phonics ones and obviously a lot are old ones the school has had for years. I don't think all children can choose their own books, I think certainly on the lower levels the staff choose the books as then they can give specific work to individual children.

What can you do about it? well I would say there are a few possibilities
1 - ask if you can help him choose as you have suggested
2 - ask them to guide his choice more
3 - if you think he is a level 4 then you could try telling him to choose from level 4 if you think he would remember?
4 - ask the school politely what exactly they are trying to achieve after the dandelion readers. If they do group reading in class at set levels then perhaps they aren't that bothered what books the children take home, if they don't do any leveled reading in school and books coming home are random then I would be quite concerned about my child's opportunity to progress with reading. As you say you CAN do it outside of school and I think you should BUT it should be supplementing what the school are doing not necessary because the school isn't doing what it should be.