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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

How do I get teacher to put DD on next level books.

25 replies

sashangel · 03/07/2014 23:18

How would you ask your teacher to move your child up the reading bands. I just don't want to be one of "those" parents s.

She is in reception and is on ORT stage 7 (turquoise).

I have been told that they won't move them up until they can read the confidently making only 1 or 2 mistakes and can comprehend what is happening.
My DD has been reading them without any mistakes and fully comprehends and even does the different voices and laughs at the jokes and silliness.

I have been writing in her reading record that she reads them easily without help and that i have asked questions about what has happened and why ect but nothing has changed for 2 months.

At home she reads what ever she likes and over the past month we have just finished Charlie and the chocolate factory (she would read a chapter and DH or I would read another) and coped very well with that and other home books that are much harder.

How would you approach it?

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Fishstix · 03/07/2014 23:21

There are a lot more aspects to reading than just knowing how to sound out the words on the page. Turquoise band is good progress for a child your dc's age. I'd let the teachers get on with it and decide when she's ready, she's doing just fine.

NitramAtTheKrap · 03/07/2014 23:24

Same here. But I am one of those parents I think.

I just asked her to move dd up a band as it was getting pointless. She needs to go up another but only 3 weeks left and I figure we will just blitz the library over the summer and start afresh in yr 1.

NitramAtTheKrap · 03/07/2014 23:29

The teachers hear them read for 10 mins, once a week. I listen to dd read for about 2 hours a week. She went into reception reading orange (I taught her to read before she got there, and to a high level) has only just moved up to Turquoise. Left to the school she would have made zero progress for a whole year.

ReallyTired · 04/07/2014 00:21

NitramAtTheKrap my goodness you sound a bit intense. Dd practices her reading for 5 minutes a night and just reception just knowing her letter sounds. We are slackers which is probably why dd is on green.

I find the book band system weird. One week she will take home a stage 6 book and the next week its a stage 5 book. Our school will not move up a child until they show they know how to use particular letter sounds in their writing.

tobysmum77 · 04/07/2014 07:33

I'd just ask her teacher what she wants you to be working on. There are lots of possibilities, for example getting her to write endings to books to develop her writing. Complex comprehension-type questions.

Charlie and the chocolate factory sounds much better anyway, the important thing for me whatever their level is to love reading.

I think it's highly unlikely they will move her up with 3 weeks to go.

Enb76 · 04/07/2014 08:29

My daughter's also on Turquoise at the end of reception. The teacher said that yes, she can read them easily and has very good comprehension she could move her up the bands but it wouldn't achieve much as she can read now so it's a case of enjoying reading and getting into stories. I agree with her actually. I think it's quite important to be able to read and enjoy a book. It's what we do as adults. She can read more challenging books at home with me.

Lumineer · 04/07/2014 08:34

I just write "I think it's time to move up a level" on her reading record.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 04/07/2014 09:55

I think I'd leave it for now. Read over the summer as you have been and see what the new teacher says in Sept. My DD was briefly on green at the end of reception, started Y1 back on blue having done summer reading challenge at library. Once teacher assessed her properly she got moved up quickly through the bands and is finishing the year on lime. My biggest concern is that the content of some books is too old for her age. I've just vetoed a fairly gruesome version of Oliver Twist which I thought was too much for a sensitive 6 year old...

Dontmakemecometovegas · 04/07/2014 11:47

Well ds is still on yellow so don't feel bad!

He started school on yellow band in September and hasn't moved.
This is one of several reasons why we are moving schools though.

BarbarianMum · 04/07/2014 12:25

If she's enjoying the books and there's plenty of choice (at dc's school there are a lot of ordinary children's books mixed in with the reading scheme books) then I'd leave it, given that we are now 2 weeks from the end of term.

If she is bored, then go in an ask them to listen to her read to see if she's ready to move up the book bands. There isn't much difference b/w turquoise, purple and gold imo but at least it should make a new range of stories available to her. And if, once they've listened to her, they say 'no' then they'll at least be able to tell you why.

1 band of progress a year is not much tbh, even children who are doing very well should be expected to progress. Maybe ask them why this is.

At home the point is to read what she enjoys reading, regardless of what happens at school.

jeee · 04/07/2014 12:32

It's the summer - your DD will be reassessed in September. Leave it. Go to a bookshop, or the library/car boot sales/charity shops (my preferred options) and let your DD chose books that she can read with you for fun. And completely forget reading levels for the next two months.

BlueChampagne · 04/07/2014 12:36

If she was happily reading more complex books at home, I wouldn't be too bothered about what she reads at school. DS1 is much the same. Will she have a new teacher next term?

You could keep a list of what she reads over the holidays (local library reading challenge?) and discuss with the teacher (new or otherwise) in September.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 04/07/2014 13:56

it is unlikely they will move her this close to the end of the year and they will reassess in September (and quite probably send home far too easy ones initially).

SapphireMoon · 04/07/2014 16:11

Chill...
With my first ds I used to get my knickers in a knot over levels.
Ds 2 is not such an early reader [different scheme to ORT but yellow sticker on books] and I now take education a marathon not a sprint approach.
Actually embarrassed at how I felt about reading levels and ds 1.

motherstongue · 04/07/2014 21:58

My DD was a great wee reader but after discussing with the teacher we decided to leave her with the top group in the class rather than single her out and that way she could do all the written work as a group which I felt was important from a social point of view. The teacher gave her 2 reading books every week. The class one for the group work and another book which was more complicated and suited to her abilities. This approach worked really well. We also read books of her choice at home and just reported back to the teacher in her homework notebook. I agree that once a child can read and more importantly truly comprehend what they have read, it should primarily be about pleasure and not about levels.

Wolfiefan · 04/07/2014 22:04

Or you could trust the teacher?
Challenge her at home?
Chill out and let her enjoy reading?

AuntySib · 04/07/2014 22:09

I would mention it to the teacher - most teachers are under pressure to show progress, and it is possible that they may have not realised if she has improved recently, as they won't necessarily have heard her read individually every week. If she has progressed, that is good news for the teacher, and they probably will act on it.

Meanwhile, the reading books are only a small part of the reading your DD will do in school, and so if you get her books that you and she think are suitable and interesting, she can continue her progress over the summer holidays.

kennyp · 04/07/2014 22:39

if she's in reception (i work in infants) seeing as it's july i'd let it go to be honest. let her continue to enjoy reading through the summer, get her books etc from library. i wouldn't be asking for moving up a book band at this point. sounds like she's done really well (lots of kids at the school i'm at are red band) and enjoy that (obviously you are but you know what i mean!) and let her get ready for year 1.

plus reports have probably gone out. plus the teachers seriously have shed loads going on at the moment and i don't think it's a biggy in the grand scheme of things.

kreme · 04/07/2014 23:30

My 4 year old could possibly read Charlie and the Chocolate, but it has a Lexile measure of 810 and whilst he may be able to understand the story explicitly it is highly unlikely that he would be able to infer hidden meanings in the text, play on words, fully understand some of the story; for example, how a person can be shaped by their environment etc.

I'm personally saving these types of books for when he can gain maximum value and enjoyment out of them.

Your teacher will be looking at your DD holistically. Are you? Remember it was the tortoise that won the race.

zingally · 05/07/2014 14:35

Speaking as a teacher...

Ask politely, say that you've noticed that DD is reading the books really well, and you were "wondering if she might be ready to move up soon?"

Teacher will then decide one way or the other.

Don't be upset if it doesn't happen - Leave it to the professional to know what is best.

thegreylady · 05/07/2014 22:16

My dgs is on purple but has been 'free reading' for the last couple of weeks. He reads Oliver Moon and Roald Dahl easily at home. His teacher says he has read all the YR ORT and extension books and she wants him to have new books available in Y1 but to me he can read (with expression) and comprehend what he has read so what is the point of continuing up the book bands?

SapphireMoon · 06/07/2014 07:42

Some of you obsessing about reading now will be embarrassed in future years. Honestly, cool it.
With PFB I have cringe worthy memories of myself round Reception year.
Think have healthier attitude with ds2.
Think teachers probably guess without knowing whose children are first borns..
Am I right teachers?!

ShelaghTurner · 06/07/2014 07:53

DD1 is on turquoise at the end of year one and has been for a term. She's read all the books about three times and reads them well. No idea why she isn't being moved up as she was progressing nicely before Easter. It's a bit frustrating because she's bored to tears with the books.

SapphireMoon · 06/07/2014 08:12

I am guessing [as with our school] you will have opportunity to discuss school reports with teacher before the end of the summer term?
Maybe ask reading questions then?

3bunnies · 06/07/2014 20:56

Generally I would say just mention to the teacher that you think that she might need to go up a level soon. Having said that it is July, in our school they collect in reading books the week before the end of term so that they can sort through them over the summer and repair/ throw out any with pages loose missing etc. She would only be on that level for a week. The new teacher will want to assess her in September and depending on whether she is willing to read over the summer she might jump a level or two or go down a level. She is unlikely to make much progress in the new level in one week. I would instead go to the library, register for the summer reading challenge and find some books roughly her level which she can enjoy over the summer.

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