Levels across Reading Schemes

[elfonshelf]

I wrote a while ago about my Y1 DD who refused to read despite being perfectly able enough to do it if she put her mind to it.

We seem to have turned a corner, and she is now devouring books - I am thrilled!

However, I'm finding it hard to work out where books fit into levels.

Her school uses a mix of scheme books and non-scheme books and levels them themselves, so it's not very easy to match things up.

At home, she's currently reading:
Usborne First Reading - Level 4
Ladybird Read it Yourself - Level 3
and a lot of normal books.

At school she's on what they deem Level 6 - today's book was one of the Rigby Rockets - Blue Level.
We've been getting L5 Biff/Chip/Kipper ones home for a while and some other series that was apparently L5 as well.

Is there a list somewhere that says what corresponds to what. The Usborne First Reading Level 4 seems much harder than the school Level 5 books and not very different from today's Level 6, but maybe I just can't see what makes a book fit a particular level!

She's very keen on the fairy-story books, but when I looked in book shops this weekend there are loads of versions of each in a mix of schemes and normal books and I haven't a clue what to buy in order to extend her a bit but not scare her!

Many thanks for any advice!

Yes Usborne and Ladybird levels are very different, iirc both broader bands starting at a higher level.
Think this guide might help with some of those:
www.essex.gov.uk/Libraries-Archives/libraries/childrens-library/Documents/Books_for_children_beginning_to_read.pdf

For the school reading scheme books, Reading Chest might help work out what fits where. For many published by Oxford you can also see old levels and new colour bands on Oxford Owls. Even within official levels there's quite a lot of variation though - DS tended to find the songbirds ones v easy within each level, and factual ones harder, maybe because of the technical vocab that he wouldn't have come across before let alone read.

I don't think you'll scare her though. Just look at the books and check they're not too many words per page, and have pictures if she likes that. If you pick something a bit hard you can always leave it for later or read it to her.

From level 6ish most normal picture books are approachable too, so don't feel you need to stick with levelled reading schemes. DS started getting into things like Dr Seuss, Elmer the Elephant, Winnie the Witch, Happy Families.

Hi Op,

reading levels is a cause of much debate on here, many parents think children are not on correct levels.

ie the child is reading and understanding the twits at home for instance but is on ORT 4 or something!

you will also get people insisting the child must be barking at print.

our DD levels at school have been widely out of snyc for a long time however this is something I have learned to relax about, as we do lots of reading at home, and her writing is not up to reading level yet.

Books mine read in year 1 - the twits, George marvelous medicine, first few lemony snicket a series of ..../Ottoline books - all three...( loved these), some fairy ones etc.

As I found her reading level was out of snyc with her actual ability I didn't want to hold her back by allowing reading level books. I checked content and as long as Ok she can read whatever she wants. childrens books section on here good, as is amazon, for one book leading to another.

also charity shops brilliant of course.

Thanks catkind - that is really helpful. Looks like Level 6 is about right, and great to have those lists of books at the same sort of level - and hopefully be able to pick some out with good stories. Last night's Rigby Rocket one - Brotherly Love - was dire and so repetitive

DD is a perfectionist and while she wants to read interesting books, if she struggles too much she could easily just decide everything is too difficult, that she's a failure and refuse to try anymore, so it's a bit of a juggling act.

Also, school have suggested that I give them the odd book that I think she would like so that they can then give her as homework as she is reluctant to cooperate, so I want to get that right.

I'm quite relieved that the school mixes books up so much, and it's therefore impossible to see what level any child is really on just from what they wave around in the playground so there is none of the parental angst my sister had at her DD's school - or else I'm just lucky that most parents don't seem in the least bit competitive here.

I don't really get the stress about whether a child is on x or y level unless it is because they are seriously struggling and need help. Only things that matter are that they are going up not down and actually trying and enjoying it. By the time they're applying for university, no-one will care if they were on ORT Level 3 or a Free Reader at the end of Y1.

January Blues - charity shops are indeed fab - I came out of one last week with 7 Ladybird Read It Yourself books and change from £5. DD probably has as many books in her bookcase as the local library - several hundred at least, mainly because I can't walk past a second-hand bookshop or charity shop without going in for a quick look!

January, we have had that with different levels at school/home. Both far too hard and far too easy at different times. Have also given up finding rhyme or reason and are mostly supplying our own books. Thank goodness for the local library service's free book-reserving system! It's easier once they can basically read as you don't have to worry about books being approachable in phonics terms, they can just follow their interests.

elf, there's the Book People too - they're great for cheap sets of easy-readers.

And yeah, no competitive parenting at our school either as far as I can tell. Reading levels are just Not Mentioned. Except by DS teachers who seem determined to tell us exactly where he stands in the class - why?? really not relevant.

School got their reading specialist to assess her today - they'd done some work with her yesterday and were confused about a few things.

The specialist has told them that DD should be on L8 and after 3 books to try L9. I bumped into her by chance and she explained a few of the odd things she was doing - she'll sound a word out one way with one or more phonemes incorrect but say the word correctly.

She also said not to worry about levels, just find a good story and make sure it's on the challenging side rather than the easy side.

I'm still very grateful for that list. It's been such a battle to engage her at all - she couldn't read much more than her name till the beginning of the summer term in Reception - and I don't want the shutter coming down and her refusing again!

Yay, sounds like she's really taking off

just find a good story and make sure it's on the challenging side rather than the easy side

What sort of specialist is this?

My DD finds her books ridiculously easy level 9, and she is reading all sorts at home, malory towers, lemony snicket, hetty feather etc..

In terms of home reading, that sounds good advice to me, tbh.