How would you classify a child as a 'Free Reader'?

[KEGirlOnFire]

At the end of last term my DD was assessed for her reading (to decide on groups for the next year I imagine) and she was put on Level 8 (Purple).

While chatting to the teacher about this she said that while she was a solid Level 8 (not just reading the words but fluency and comprehension aswell) they would class her as a 'Free Reader' and that she could pretty much pick anything she wanted and read it (she was reading 'Goldilocks' to her classmates in the book corner at the time ). But I don't understand why she's classed as a 'Free Reader'. I know it isn't an official term but certainly, even though she's reading up to Level 10 at home (I've got the Ladybird 'Read It Yourself' Books that go up to Level 10), I can't imagine that she could pick up the local paper and read it fluently.

So what do they mean by 'Free Reader', is there some context to this dependent on age?

My DD is Y2 by the way. Started Y1 on green I think but then it really clicked and she made good progress. I didn't want you think she was at lime at start of Y2!

Start of Y1 I mean!

DD2 was reading The Faraway Tree books/ Holly Webb animal books/ Roald Dahl independently and with good comprehension 12-18 months ago, always has a book on the go, and has a reading age years above her age. I would call that a free reader.

However, her school doesn't, and they have her on white band. It doesn't really matter - we race through the school book, then she reads what she likes!

My DD was classed as a "free reader" in the summer term of last year and brought home random often very easy books, which we often ended up not reading as we had much better books at home to read, and sometimes lime or brown books. She seemed to be drifting a bit but this year she's been put back on the reading scheme at purple level (we agreed that this was okay with her previous teacher) and is taking home and reading very easily a book a night, which her school have replaced the next day without comnent. She is a little bit miffed that she has been put back (as she sees it) but to me it seems better than "free reading" as she is reading to us daily for 10-15 minutes, is learning the odd new bit of vocabulary, and is still ahead for her age according to the reading level/age classification.