when did your DC become a free reader

[recyclingbag]

We had book bands in infants, then new set in juniors which went up to black I think (stage 16)

DS has just finished all the bands - he's in year 5. Is this expected level?

I've no idea what the rest of his class are doing and don't like to ask.

I think some were free readers ages ago.

Ds1 is. He's 6 and in year one. He's been reading since he could talk virtually though and is a good reader. Not sure what level that is though.

My Ds was year 2 but reading before he started school...

Do bear in mind... many schools go up to different levels... I still think that the most important thing with reading is they are enjoying it not which level they reach or how quickly they get there

Different schools have different definitions of what constitutes a free reader! For some, it means " can choose from a specific box of books" and for others it means " can read anything they like from the library or from home"

Ds1 - reception
Ds2 - end of year 1 ( but he only started to learn to read in the beginning of year 1 as he was in a different system prior to this)

Why don't you ask the teacher? That gives you most accurate info.

DD was free reader from reception - year 2. Now she is in year 3 and on burgandy level. I have no idea why they are colouring the books again or where that is on the levels. I only know she is back on colour levels because she keeps telling me.

Whereas our children don't tend to become "free readers" until year 5/6!

Our school goes to free reader after lime level so I'm not sure if this is going to be a helpful comparison for you if other posters' schools have different schemes. Most kids are between Y2 and Y4 here.

My DD was towards the end of year 3.
She's in yr4 now and loves reading.
Ds1 in yr2 is on the last level so at some point this term I should imagine. He's still rubbish at spelling though

If he is able to read the type of books he enjoys, and he is reading age-appropriate books, rather than toddler picture books, then he is doing fine.

All schools seem to have different systems. In DD's school she was free reading, but they bought new books on higher ORT levels, so now she isn't free reading any more. However, at home she is reading age-appropriate books fluently and with understanding, so I have no concerns about her reading.

If you'd like to know how he is doing and what you could do to help him improve, talk to the teacher.

DD1 from June in yr 1 and DD2 before half term and she is Yr1 too. Our school goes up to level 15 then free reading. DD1 could read really well before she started school but DD2 couldn't even read her name, once she caught on then she was unstoppable.

Thank you. I think the reading schemes must differ quite a lot among schools. dS1 was on lime in year 2 but there have been a lot of levels since then.

DD's primary used to make most of them free readers in yr 2 or 3. But the school has just bought masses of books from several different schemes that are aimed at juniors. We've had a letter home explaining that all juniors will be asked to read these books several times a week. DD who is in yr 5 has a comic capers one by treetops at the moment, it's several short comic style stories. So far they seem OK , quite varied, not too long and more importantly DD is happy to read them. DD has a school library book she chooses herself too. She is not a particularly enthusiastic reader but does read 5 times a week by herself, and once to me, because that's what the school requests, she always wants to please.

In Y2 I think, but then the school added more reading levels the following year and most of the free readers went back onto those books.

Y1, but they have boom banded again and now he is on grey?!

DS school don't have reading scheme books to send home for year 1 so - year 1 I guess. This is not a good thing, their alternatives are not as good as half-decent reading scheme books.

Ds is still only on year 1 and on turquoise so a while to go yet I think..I'm pretty certain they use the treetops in juniors so I think it'll be a while yet. Although apparently they also have a half-termly class text that they all read and do work based on it too.

Old school went up to stage 16. New school only has up to stage 7 and then you are on horrid henrys or rainbow fairies until yr 4 when you are allowed to go to the library and choose something else. So I'm in no hurry to finish stage 7 and be a "free reader". It's pretty crap tbh.

Year one

Thanks.

Ds2 is just about to become a free reader in infants (year2) and is on copper.

Then they add the extra levels in juniors.

I checked reading ages online and level 16 is a reading age of 11 - so expected level year 6.

So if you know lv16 is expected level for yr6, why are you asking is it expected level for yr5? You know he is advanced, surely?

Half way through Year 2 in one school. Then he changed schools at the end of Year 2. When he started Year 3 in his new school he went back on their reading scheme - Oxford Reading Tree level 13 - not sure about colour. He finished them and went back to free reading, in the first term of Year 3. It must vary school to school I guess.

Ours only go up to lime. DD was a free reader from reception. Free reader meant could read what they wanted which was Harry Potter and Roald Dahl iirc!

I'm amazed at some of the examples here, Harry Potter in Reception?! wow.

Do they comprehend the text? That's as, if not more, important than just saying the words.

My ds was 6, he's now 8 and just finishing the harry potter series, he's always been a brilliant reader but there is no way at reception age a child can comprehend that text, they simply don't have enough experience of life to be able to understand the vocabulary and themes, sure they might be able to read all the words but comprehension is entirely seperate from reading ability.