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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Blue reading level in year 2...

42 replies

Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 08:06

My DD was at the expected level in all areas according to the year 1 report but throughout the year I was told she was behind in reading especially.
I got a friend to tutor her once a week to help with her fluency and speed as she is very stubborn and refuses to read with me sometimes but was always happy to do it with the " tutor "
But they've just been benchmarked and she's been placed on blue level which is 2 levels behind where she should be ( teacher wrote this in her reading record )
What else can I do and is this a big concern?

OP posts:

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PugwallsSummer · 09/09/2017 18:36

Agree with PP "benchmarking" is a generic term for assessment. If DD is receiving reading recovery intervention you would expect to be informed beforehand. Two book bands below wouldn't usually trigger RR intervention as it is generally used for non readers or at least very low ability.

Your DD has some catching up to do, that's all. What has the teacher recommended you do with her to help her progress? What is the teacher going to do?

wtffgs · 09/09/2017 18:43

Read to her as much as you can too. You could always point out words like and but it etc but keep the focus on fun. Silly voices, comics, Julia Donaldson, a recipe for something she likes to eat. Don't just expect her to pick up a love of reading from bastard Biff and crappy Chip. I know the reading schemes play their part but they are sooooo dull.

DD was a very reluctant reader well into Y1 and now a real bookworm several years later. In fact, the more reading/being read to that involves books that aren't banded, the better.

wtffgs · 09/09/2017 18:46

I used to read Hairy McClary with a different Scottish voice for each dog. DD thought it was hysterically funny. I'm really no good at accents but I used to enjoy making her laugh.

catkind · 09/09/2017 18:53

I said "also" mrz. It is also a generic term. No reason to assume it was RR benchmarking unless the school is known to use RR.

mrz · 09/09/2017 18:58

Yes it's a generic term but in schools when discussing reading assessment it is a trade name for an resource and every reason to conclude that's what has been used to assess.

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 19:01

I have to agree with cat on this one, mrz. My ds's teacher used phrase "benchmarking" while we are talking about maths. Nothing to do with RR.

And your link is 404.

mrz · 09/09/2017 19:15

Perhaps they use the maths Benchmarking kit to assess Irvine ?

Original poster

Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 19:21

To the lady who asked the question in our school it goes : pink, red, yellow, blue, green, orange, turquoise, purple, white, free reader.
We read to her every night without fail and sometimes during the day too she will often ask to have a story if at home so she enjoys that.
My sister says to get a tutor ( she can't continue anymore as moving quite some way ) as if her reading doesn't improve she will find the SATS difficult and will affect her confidence when reading to the teacher if she's struggling.
Yellow is what was expected to start year 1 and orange is what's expected to start year 2 according to my sister.
Teacher has done nothing last year to help, apart from saying she couldn't move her up when I said she was finding the blue books very easy because at school she wasn't.
New teacher may have more of a plan I guess, parents evening is after the next half term though so quite a way.

OP posts:

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 19:31

I think you should really have a talk with your sister and find out what she thinks is the problem is. I don't think recommending tutor in ks1 is very common, unless they suspect some kind of issue.

Original poster

Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 19:41

My daughter is in a pretty disruptive class TBH
Lots of children with issues including ADHD / ADD / anger management issues and so on.
Sister thinks she isn't able to focus properly and also doesn't have a very good attention span so loses interest.
I guess a tutor is giving her that one on one chance even if only an hour a week that she isn't getting in a class of 30.

OP posts:

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 19:46

If one on one is what she needs to progress, normally one on one with parent is enough with most children in ks1.
I don't know why your sister, as a teacher, suggested tutor, but if lack of concentration or disruptive class is the reason, I would assume your sister would suggest you to help her at home.

Original poster

Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 20:46

Because she refuses to do it with me!
But works well with another adult overlooking her

OP posts:

Naty1 · 09/09/2017 21:07

Its the reluctance to read thats a problem. aFAIK dd almost never read to the teacher in yr R. We did a lot of work at home and i would say imo she is white/gold etc starting yr1.
(We have a similar issue with writing and real reluctance).
I think memory does make a huge difference and dd cant remember how to form the letter shapes but can rapidly read letters.

I joined reading chest and that gave enough books at the lower levels to progress more quickly.

If the teachers arent seeing the same skill at school i would video her reading. Maybe saying that she may be distracted in the school environment.

How long is she taking to read the blue books?

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 21:25

Same here as Naty, my ds is not a reluctant reader but a reluctant writer.
We have been trying all sorts of different methods for years, finally found one that gets my ds going without reluctance this summer, from suggestion on MN.
Sounds like she is able, otherwise she wouldn't get 38/40 on PSC.
Keep trying to make her read something, not necessary books, (without making a big deal out of it, ) but magazines, recipe books, instructions, anything. She has basic phonics, so only thing she need is just practice.
Can she read to younger siblings, granny, her cuddly toys, etc, if reading to you is the problem?

Original poster

Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 22:00

She is the youngest and just won't read to anyone or anything unfortunately.
I think my sister as she doesn't see her much and knows she is a teacher worked well for her as slightly authoritive figure.
She takes a few minutes to complete the blue books but clearly isn't matching that at school.

OP posts:

YorkieButtons · 09/09/2017 23:30

Op don't despair! My dd is also 6 and in year 2. She started year 1 on red books after spending the whole of reception on red. She is an intelligent little girl on the top table but just couldn't take to reading and wasn't one bit interested.

I am such a bookworm and was gutted that she clearly didn't share my love of books ( ridiculous I know, she was 4/5 )

She ended up flying all of a sudden and left year 1 on purple books which was quite a leap from red. The only level she skipped was green.

She's now one week into year 2 and can't get enough of reading. I bought her a diary to write in and we write each other little notes.
I also let her pick a load of books for home as she too has Biff and bloody Chip!

I still don't really know what made her change but I think something "clicked" and she has realised how much information she can access by reading and also reads alone for pleasure.

Find whatever her passion is and maybe get some books about it to spark her interest a little bit.

She will be fine

CaptainAmericasShield · 09/09/2017 23:39

I would also say try to find something she loves to read even if it's the modern day equivalent of Enid blyton (much frowned upon in the 80s but for me into reading).

DS (now yr 3) only really took to reading after discovering Harry Potter. Maybe a bit advanced for your DD but you get my point?

School reading books are pretty dull whichever scheme they choose!

You could also do the thing of you read a page, DD reads a page. Less overwhelming for her.

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