Summer reading advice needed

[chocciechocface]

DD most recent reader from school is a biff chip and kipper book at level 7. She's 5YO. I want to keep up her reading through the summer and to get hold of books she can comfortably read. I don't want to buy biff chip and kipper type sets because she may be given these at school next year.

Can anyone recommend good early readers she could manage but also progress on? I've been on Amazon searching around but getting horribly confused.

Many thanks

She could probably read the julia donaldson books like snail and whale etc.
I like the look of the project alien books on book people.
On mumsnet there are threads of the real books for each level.
Ive joined reading chest you can remoce certain sets eg ORT.
Though i only have silver so im limited to how many we get.

I'm doing the summer reading challenge with the library and going to use their early readers. we also have project x book sets from the book people and so far through to purple.

Sign up for the library summer reading scheme - 6 books, lots of stickers, and a presentation and medal at the end.

I find it best to look up the books first, and order online.

www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

Okay, I've had a quick look at the website - if you look at the "book sorter" section, you can search for books by age and type. Once you've found one you like, you can usually search for similar books.

Much better than seeing what is left on the shelves, as they are often quite picked over.

I'd try sorting like these. You may need to read someone them with her, but my son isn't reading quite at the same Evelyn, and generally reads the first page of each chapter to me.

The v popular Rainbow Magic fairy do some early reader editions. There are the usbourne early readers in whole ranges of series. The book people website you can get bundles at that age group.
But agree library is a good start. For kindle the children unlimited package is a good summer use. The pirates phonics hame is really good and engaging

Our libraries are OK for the first week of the summer reading challenge and then there's nothing left for the rest of the summer! We've signed up for Reading Chest too and the good thing (imo) about that is that it's "proper" reading books so they have the right level of vocabulary etc in them. Books for pleasure are great but aren't designed to develop readers and there certainly isn't a huge variety of vocabulary (or content!) with the Rainbow Magic fairies - believe me, we've got hundreds of them!!!

Our library has a first readers shelf which helps a lot.

I am not sure what level 7 is ..

but a great early reading set was Allan Ahlberg Happy Families series.

Dick King Smith wrote a couple of simple books that my kids loved at the reaching fluency stage of reading:

The Finger Eater

Omnibobulator

My 5 yr old is on stage 10 but he loves the horrid henry early reader series - he has gone through every one available at our local library so now need something new for him.

I find arbookfind.co.uk very helpful. Find a book at the right level for DC and look it up. You get a book level for that book. Then search for books at that level at the appropriate "maturity" level. This weeds out inappropriate themes for younger children. Then look through the search results and reserve them at your local library online.

A lot of library "early readers" have book bands on the back cover which helps. Horrid Henry and Rainbow Magic have "early readers" that would probably be manageable - possibly more fun that a reading scheme!

We did reading chest for a bit. If you ask around for a referral code from an existing user, you can usually get a cheap first month which almost covers the summer holidays...

Thanks for the replies. I've never heard of reading chest (off to google it). I was going to sign up for the reading challenge but we will be away for 3 weeks, so I was hoping to fill in the blanks.

I feel lost. I don't know what 'level seven' really is? And some of the early reader books (usborne, for example) have different 'level' systems. I can't work out where our level 7 fits into other systems.

I also don't know how DDs reading is progressing for her age. This is a concern to me because I keep reading about falling literacy and numeracy standards in Scotland, so as a parent I want to buffer that. I'd kind of like to know if DD is doing Ok, or if she needs extra support and how. Her teacher seemed to duck this with me (I'll try again) along the lines if 'each child at their own pace'. Yes, well, of course ... but ...

I'll go through all replies. Many thanks.

Ime Finding a book they love to read with you helps so much. That's why I have recommended the ones my kids enjoyed over and over.

If reading seems a real struggle then a phonics based book series might be worth a go. (Songbirds is an example)

Fwiw my eldest was not at level 7 ( just googled a page!) At age 5.
In Scotland your 5 year old will be in the young half of the class, is that right? As such don't compared with classmates who may be a year older. At age of 5 one year is 20% longer being on the planet..not insignificant.

Usborne book bands
www.usborne.com/downloads/book-bands/urp-book-bands-nc3.pdf

Ime they will see that stage book as fine for her age.

I read to them at that stage letting them read words and phrases I was fairly sure they knew. Then progressed from one short sentence read by them and the rest of the paragraph from me. It all adds to confidence.

badger also shows these as turquoise level books.
www.badgerlearning.co.uk/ecommerce/primary-resources/library-reading-boxes/banded-reading-boxes/turquoise--banded--pack.aspx

Shortly after the most recent news that literacy levels had fallen again, I decided to focus on DDs reading more intensively. She has to have done a set amount of reading two times a week, and I had previously done this the day before it was due. We also read to her every night.

I stepped it up to her doing her set reading every single day. Just re reading it. Her ability has rocketed, and her fluency has really improved. She is leaping across levels suddenly. Her recent book was stage 7 ORT, but she reads this very comfortably.

So I could have been doing a lot better prior to this. It's this recognition of my own involvement (and guilt - I'm so pissed off with myself) that makes me want to find books that can progress her reading.

I have to say that while her reading has improved, her spelling has not and her writing is not good at all.

I help in school, and read with Year 2 children. You can really tell which children read regularly with parents. It does make a genuine difference. We aim for five times per week.

I think level 7 is turquoise, which is more than fine for a five year old. I regularly read with year 2 children who are at that level - I think it is a level when they can start with early readers.

My son loves these.

These are also good.

Lots for children seem to like Beast Quest.