Lilac book band

[Mandzi34]

Hi all,

DS - Reception has just brought home his first reading book which has no words and is Lilac book band. He can recognise the tricky words he's been taught and is able to decode various words, such as pen, car, are, etc. I'm wondering if I need to help him with his comprehension, hence the wordless books? There are some tips at the beginning of the book and I will follow them. Any other advice greatly received!

I was told that wordless books are useful to help children invent the story for themselves just by looking at the pictures. I don't think it's because they don't realise he can sound out words already

That's a pink book and normal. There was a thread about the same thing recently

Thanks! My oldest DS was a brilliant mechanical reader but his comprehension was poor and I missed it completely. Trying to understand the whole reading process this time so that I can help youngest DS.

Wordless books may have some purposes, but if he can read already, I don't see why he shouldn't have books with words at his level.
You can work on comprehension or invent/ imagine stories based on the books with words as well.

Lilac comes before pink in some schemes unnecessary for most children ... A waste of time and money IMHO

No, it's a lilac book in our school too. For us they were totally useless as my DS has a very good imagination and vocabulary already. Thankfully I only got two and now on pink books and although they are too easy they are better than wordless.
Gotta agree that for some children they are useless

I am a little shocked that he's been given books without words as his teacher said he's doing really well and had understood phonics well. I would have thought she would have told me if he needed extra help? My oldest DS is a late August baby and he was having additional support throughout Reception but still had books with words from the beginning.

I think it depends on if they have assessed their reading levels. My DS' school haven't yet but when they do they'll probably be given more appropriate books.

With DS I read that book with him as well as anything else he has interest in.

I think they have assessed their reading levels. So I imagine those in the lowest groups are given books without words? I'm just surprised that I hear from the teacher how well he's doing (this is without me asking).

Look at it with him, talk about the setting, the characters, the action and just ask the teacher why he hasn't had a book with words. Don't worry too much about it, if he can decode you can make your own simple sentences for him or invest in some good phonics books, like the songbirds, to read at home.
For the comprehension side talk about what's happening and why, what are the characters doing, how do they feel, what might happen next? Any discussion to check that the text has been understood.

The other way is to write that he found it easy in the reading journal if you have one.

Thanks all. I've written my comment in the reading journal. Although he enjoys books he did find it strange that there were no words and just opened the front cover to try and read the guidance notes!

Would they be teaching them to blend letters at this stage?

They should have been teaching blending and segmenting almost from day one.
The books should match phonic ability and knowledge

My ds has started lower level than his actual level beginning of reception, due to his reluctance to answer any question by the teacher. Luckily, he came from school nursery, so they knew roughly what he can do, so it wasn't too bad, but changed few levels in 2 weeks.
Does your ds do the same as he does at home? Does he show his proper ability at school? Mine didn't. He was shy and also very lazy.

I think it depends on if they have assessed their reading levels. My DS' school haven't yet but when they do they'll probably be given more appropriate books.

It's November! Any halfway competent teacher should be well aware of their children's reading ability by now and should be sending home books that match.

MY Ds' son only started phonics three weeks before half term. Some don't start it straight away plus this is their first year doing RWI.

We have a reading workshop later today so hopefully that will shed some light. I know my DS isn't a great story teller as such but he does like to try and read words and knows the tricky words he's been taught in school so it's a little surprising.

Btw you can read some ORT books for free online here
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home

Thank you Tomorrowwillbechicken I will check them out.

Np. theres also these:
www.collins.co.uk/page/Collins+Big+Cat/Apps

"MY Ds' son only started phonics three weeks before half term."
So by the end of the first week of RWI they should have begun blending and segmenting.

Yes, i think as soon as they get satpin (probably mid/end of week 2) they start trying to blend. 1

The latest I've known of any school starting phonics is after the October half term. So even then, they should have started blending and segmenting by now.

There's not really any excuse for not knowing or having assessed the reading level of children this late into the term either.

To be fair we only got two lilacs then a level 1+ so not too bad in our case