Reading levels ks1

[Faz2015]

My dd loves reading... she has read all Ronald Dahl, currently engrossed into Enid blyton. I have checked, and she has good comprehension of these books as well.

In school was on white band all of last term but she has been saying that she finds these books easy( fiction And non fiction). I asked her teacher if she could be moved to next level up and she has said that she can and put her on Rigby star plus( not sure what Orr level that is) and said she won't be able to move up any further than brown level until reaches ks2 as the books further up are not appropriate for age range.

Won't this stagnate her reading or should I just keep on getting her books from outside. If so any recommendations on authors and titles? She's only reading Enid blyton and i want her to diversify.

Sorry for the long post.
Thanks

Library. I think most kids get to a point where home reading takes over sooner or later. Maybe school reading will pick up again later, meanwhile the main thing is to find a wider variety of things she'll enjoy. What I do is pick up recommendations from MN and similar, get stuff out of the library and read the first chapter to DC to hook them in. (Then they steal the book away to read at bedtime. And I have to steal it back if I want to know what happens! So many books I've only read the first chapter of...)

Try this site for ideas. They do bundles for schools with real books which qualify for the levels and may be good for ideas.
Heres grey:
www.badgerlearning.co.uk/ecommerce/primary-resources/library-reading-boxes/banded-reading-boxes/grey-banded-pack.aspx

Ahh thank you... I have asked the ppl at Waterstones for guidance as my dd likes to buy books for every occasion and treats... but I am always wary of the content... I'll look at the website as well

Np. Theres a few other databases around too but that is a good jumping off point

That sounds wrong - it's not as though the books leap from Biff and Chip to The Hunger Games! My Y1 is a good reader and has reading scheme books from higher levels ; it's more that some of the non-fiction topics are hideously dull (32 pages about snakes was definitely one to outsource to my OH!). Have you looked at something like Reading Chest? You can subscribe and get reading scheme books through the post. We do that and it's worked well.

I agree with other posters about library, home resources etc.

However, I do think it's a bit of a cop-out on the part of the school, and if you're bothered about it it might be worth asking whether this is a firm policy.

My DD (Y1) chooses books from KS2 boxes, and sometimes the content is inappropriate in some way (more adult themes or requiring a much greater knowledge of physics etc.). I haven't always been happy about this (she got upset once or twice in Reception) but have come to realise that it's better for me to have to check books than to have the school refusing to provide any options.

If they won't budge on this, perhaps ask the school to provide a reading list of more difficult books that have appropriate content for your daughter's age group? (obviously you can do this yourself if they won't)

As for Enid Blyton, my daughter's reading some at the moment too, but I wouldn't let her read those exclusively, the reason being that when I was at school, a teacher complimented me on my 'pastiche' writing - I had read so much EB that I was writing in her style unintentionally! I would definitely be alternating EB with books of other authors to encourage wider exposure to writing styles and vocab.

Thank you ladies, I have looked at the reading chest..and might subscribe to that.. ginmummy.. your absolutely right... I think need to get her a wider range of books to read as Enid Blayton is all she wants to read... I'll ask the school if they can provide me with a reading list of appropriate books.

Thanks

DD's school has no problem with giving them KS2 books, most of the ones she gets are stamped as for the YR5 / YR6 library, and the topics are not at all inappropriate - and I can't imagine they filter the boxes before the YR1 kids have a look in it.

Enid Blyton I find quite inappropriate, but of course not inappropriate enough to ban her reading, mind you I can't imagine any book in a primary school being inappropriate in subject matter.

The 'inappropriate' content in DD's school is old-fashioned books really (some 30+ years old). Very graphic and cruel descriptions by modern standards (eg an animal being ripped to pieces in fury), and also some inappropriate references to people being 'stupid' and 'simple' in a style that wouldn't be approved nowadays. As a study of how writing styles and moral views and acceptable vocab have changed they were interesting, but this was a lot to ask of a 5-year-old.

Subject matter wise, DD struggled in Reception with Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl - really intense descriptions of abject poverty and suffering and grief.

Also subject matter wise, there have been some books that demanded a lot of life knowledge that the majority of 5-year-olds wouldn't have come across. One book was about 'change', and assumed physics knowledge (states of matter) and environmental knowledge (global warming). It provoked lots of great questions but we basically had to do a few science lessons with DD!

Ginmummy1 Surely anyone who thinks Enid Blyton is acceptable is accepting of dealing with the old fashioned views and language - the moral views of her characters are very much of the time.

Dealing with the reaction to the poverty etc. is possible at any age, I don't personally think it's any likely to be a problem at 5 or 8, but that might just be DD's coping methods working fine.

Still confused about states of matter - surely the knowledge ice/water/steam is common knowledge of a UK school kid? How much more pre-existing knowledge did it need?

What I find so shocking, is that they( head of year) have already put limitations on my dd. I'm not saying that she will get to brown level by ks2 but it's just worrying. I would think that children are on the readibg levels to develop certain comprehension skills and learn new vocabulary. I do try to supplement her a lot through library but I would feel happier knowing she's also progressing in class. I'm not sure if I should speak to deputy head about this or not.

I was partially educated here and in the American international school, so the only books I remember are Enid blyton and Roald Dahl and I was a lot older when I read these. So I'm not even sure what books would be suitable.

How do you all filter reading material? Do you read them first?

Thanks

Sirfred, prior knowledge of ice/water/steam was assumed on page 1 of this particular book. That water becomes steam at a much lower temperature than metal changes from solid to molten, and that water expands when it becomes ice, and that some change is reversible (ice/water/steam) and some permanent (burning wood) were facts not previously known to my five-year-old daughter. Exploring the meaning of all of these things and more took some time.

Faz, it seems from other threads on here that it's not unusual for schools to impose false ceilings on reading (a common one is that a child has to read every book in a band before moving up, but they're only allowed 1-2 books per week). Up to you how hard you fight the school on this one. I am definitely picking my battles carefully as I don't want to be 'that' parent on everything!

In terms of filtering reading material, just a glance really. If she starts picking up teen novels I will have to take more care, but I don't think she'll be getting those from primary school.

In terms of finding other suitable books, take a look on the shelves of your local children's library. It's pretty easy to find a very wide range of suitable books. I would also make friends with my local librarian, or, failing that, staff at the local bookshop.

Ladybird do abridged versions of 'Classic' books, and also lots and lots of books with small print and complex sentence structure/vocabulary etc. Our local second hand book shop has tonnes of them and they are perfect for advanced readers at a young age. Also Beatrix Potter (serious vocabulary! ), original versions of Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Heidi, that sort of thing.

My dd loves reading the nonfictions... we then look into the topics in more depth and discuss further.. yes some nonfiction topics are quite in depth but than we just go back to the basics by googling or by looking at our encyclopaedia...

Gin... to be honest I think I have already become that "parent" with my dds class teacher... I don't think it's a battle I will win but nonetheless, I will let the deputy head know my feelings regardless since they are very much "we cater for all abilities" moto.

Midnight thank you for the suggestions, I think we will head out to our local library this weekend and get some other reading materials c

Ps. We love the encyclopaedia.. I know it's old school, but I love it!!

We had a similar issue with DD now age 9. They wouldn't move her on to free readers until KS2 as they said some of the books might be inappropriate ( e.g. Scary ) for her before then. She did far more reading at home than at school anyway so it didn't hold her back noticeably. In year 3 she was finally allowed a free choice from the library or to bring her own books in from home. Once she was allowed to, she read the whole Harry Potter series as her school book and in her own time too and loved it. I would say the HP books are better left until 7+ anyway, particularly the later ones.

If you can find a good children's librarian, they will be able to point you at age appropriate but longer / harder books. My Y1 dd who's just moved up from white band at school is enjoying Enid Blyton (particularly the school series), Rainbow Fairies, some series about animals (Magic Forest?), The Worst Witch, Ballet Stars, lots of Dick King-Smith, Violet Mackerel, Hundred Mile An Hour Dog, Mr Gum series etc. Just be careful about Jacqueline Wilson, she liked The Cat Mummy but the content was a bit upsetting, and some of her other books are definitely aimed at older readers.

I had a similar problem earlier in the school year with my y1 dd and am pleased to say it has now been fixed.
My dd was re-reading gold band books which she had already read in reception and were no challenge at all. I brought up a couple of times and initially felt I was being ignored by the teacher. But now she has started sending home Roald Dahl which the school themselves has banded white or lime. I think it helps that her class has a few good readers so her whole reading group is on the books and they are doing book reports on them.
Phonics is taught via Read Write Inc so she is still getting those.
Maybe suggest to the school that perhaps they dont need to be so rigid in their book choices?

So today took my dd to the library.. although she sat in the corner reading a rainbow Faries, i had a great chat with the librarian who was extremely helpful... we ended up checking out Awful aunty, the secret of nightingale wood, who could be at this hour? And a host of others.

We will try and read as varied as we can... but it would be good if any of your children reads an amazing book plz let me know x thanks

Sorry to restart but saw this section on badger too
www.badgerlearning.co.uk/ecommerce/primary-resources/library-reading-boxes/confident-fluent-readers/