Reading book bands

[FrozenAteMyDaughter]

Hi, DD(5) who has just finished Reception is quite keen on reading and I would like to help support her to do what she can and wants to over the holidays. She is reading level 6 on the ORT (judging by the books she brings home) but I have noticed on here people seem to talk in coloured book bands.

Could anyone tell me roughly what colour book band I should be looking for in the library and also what type of other reading book (chapter book etc) she could maybe try at that sort of level?

I would ask the teacher, of course, but I have left it late and am working all this week and am not going to make it in for pick up before they break up on Friday.

TIA

Hi I think that would be orange book band. Hope that helps.

Thanks Dottymum2. That is very helpful.

She is unlikely to be ready for chapter books at that stage, you want her to enjoy the book rather than feel it is a long haul. Our library has a whole section for 'young readers' divided into sections for new readers, more confident readers etc. librarians are also really helpful for recommendations and you can do the summer library challenge.

ReAding a range of books is important so get some non fiction as well.

Thanks Heels99. That is really helpful. She has brought stuff home from school about the summer reading challenge so we will try to get there sometime this week if possible so we can take some books away with us on holiday.

I take your point about chapter books - I certainly don't want to put her off reading! I might take some books I can read to her though - maybe the simpler Roald Dahl books or some Enid Blyton?

Tell you what mine did like at that age and good to get from library was joke books and craft books. We let them pick one thing from the craft book to make with us and they took it in to show the librarian. All these type of books count for the reading challenge. Great idea to keep reading to them as well then they get to hear more complex stories and vocab. You can ask them questions after e.g how was xxx feeling, why did yyj do that. Inference is also a key skill to learn from yr1 onwards.

My DS is the same level, which is orange book band as others have said. We have some Horrid Henry books that my DD liked when she was about Y1 but those are too tricky for DS at the moment. They are about the easiest chapter books I know of. My DS enjoyed reading (with a bit of help from DH) Dr Seuss books like "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish."

I think you risk putting her off with Blyton or Dahl. They'll be too difficult at the moment. Read one of those to her by all means and perhaps get her to read the odd word but I'd look for something easier for her to be reading.

Just let her have a go at the library books and see what she likes for topic and font size.

I always went for a bit lower level than DD's school books as I wanted her to enjoy and feel the accomplishment to manage it on her own. Usborne does a First Reader series with lots of colour pictures and simple stories, DD adored them. Factual books are part of the library challenge as well, so look if there is anything she likes topic wise.

Reading to her - it really depends on her concentration and if she likes it. We always read to DD at a lot higher level than what she can read on her own. For example she read orange band and we read Pippi Longstocking to her. She loved having proper chapter books read to her at bedtime and we normally managed 1/2 chapter each night.

I found this handy for finding books at the library
www.essex.gov.uk/Libraries-Archives/libraries/childrens-library/Documents/Books_for_children_beginning_to_read.pdf

Our library has a whole section of reading scheme books and I've been getting ones at her level and the level above from different reading schemes.

I've been reading Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton to her (she loved The Enchanted Wood) and just get her to read the first bit of each chapter and then I carry on.

Thanks for that link flashbunny it's brilliant! Whenever I go to the early readers section in our library I always end up walking away again as the books are never in any particular order, that list will make my next trip much easier without having to rifle through every book and skim-read them to see if ds will manage it!

This link lists the colour bands that MOST schools probably follow:

www.readingchest.co.uk/book-bands

You can also get reading e-books on the Oxford Owls website.