Q about 5 year old reading expectations

[SerialGoogler]

DS2 is 5 and in year one. As an end-of-August baby he would have just started reception if he had been born a week later. His is on level 1 books and at the parent evening the teacher explained where he needs to be at the end of year one. We're a looong way off band 6. At that meeting she discussed putting him on the 'cause for concern' register so that he could perhaps get extra help. That hasn't happened yet (that I know of ) and I said that I would support whatever got him the help he needs.

Today I get a note from school telling me I am not reading enough with him and that he is well behind where he needs to be by end of year and then a lot of doom and gloom info about the effect on his education and future.
If I compare him to a friends son who is 4 weeks younger and just in reception they are reading at the same level. And I can't help but think if I had held on for a week I wouldn't be getting a sharply worded letter about his reading level.
He's just not ready yet. It hasn't 'clicked.' I remember with DS1 that once it did he was off and away. DS2 is still painfully sounding out each word although he can sight read some words now. He's much more comfortable with maths and I have absolutely no reason to suspect SEN.
So part of me feels guilty that I haven't 'got' him to the the next level or two but on the other hand I can't make him understand something he can't yet.
Is he just unfortunate to be so young in year 1 and subject to year 1 targets or is there something wrong?
Despite the tone of the letter we do read together every other day at a minimum but progress is slow.
Does anyone know at what point I really need to worry or how best to handle with the school?

You're right that as a summer born baby he's at a massive disadvantage. Quite a few of the older boys in my youngest's year are in the group for reading support, if they had been born a little earlier they'd be in the year above and massively behind rather than a little behind but nothing to worry about.

The problem with our inflexible education system is that his actual age doesn't matter he'll move through the years and he will be at an advantage until he catches up with his reading as he won't be able to access the curriculum.

Why do the school think you're not reading enough with him? You're right that it will probably just click at some point but you can move it along by reading little and often with him? If he's far from fluent it's probably tiring for him. Maybe you could read once in the morning then once or twice in the evening for a short burst? (Obviously you don't want to put him off by forcing him to sit for hours but the practise will really pay off).

Perhaps try a different reading scheme to the one used at school? (You can get read write inc black and white books cheaply off amazon, big cat phonics books are also good as they are more like real story books).

Thanks Home, I'll look at the books you've mentioned - the school ones have no story at all so there's no pay off in reading them. At least Biff and Chip get up to stuff!

I think they think that if I was reading enough with him they'd have seen more progress. They are totally not taking his age into account in my opinion.
Will try the twice a day thing too, just a page at a time maybe so he's always succeeding.

Please avoid Biff and Chip

Norest DS1 had all the Biff and Chip's at school, recognition charts, the lot - not seen a single one with DS2. What was poor about them? Apart from not having real names?

They were based on the older look and say methods which caused reading issues in some children.

Might be worth following up on the extra help the school were talking about.

Did the letter go out just to you or to all of the parents in the class? We regularly got doom and gloom letters last year about a lack of home reading - they annoyed me a lot, but we read pretty much every day at home (there's the odd evening things get too frantic like most houses) and they were a general wake up call to the whole year group really.

It's hard when they're struggling and year 1 has ridiculous expectations these days - it's not reading we have issues with but writing and we've had the "going to fail to meet expectations" talk on that particular front already this year.

I agree that the look and say Biff and Chip books aren't the best much better to try a purely phonics scheme. Most children learn to read fine whatever sensible method you use but for a significant minority the look and say methods can cause serious delays in their reading.

Hex I don't think it was a blanket letter but I don't think I was the only one to receive it. I realised afterwards that the head had heard him read that day as it was noted in the record. I wonder if she was asked to by his teacher because he was behind or she panicked when she heard him but the end result is the same!
The unfairness on my lovely boy who is trying but taking his time still rankles - don't get me on to spellings...

@Norestformrz out of interest why avoid biff and chip

Biff and Chip books tend not to be phonics (unless you use the Floppy Phonics books) which is why they should be avoided initially.

OP, how often have you been reading with him? Is it possible that because you think he is young and not really ready, that you have subconsciously not been practicing as you would have with an older-in-year child?

I know with DD2 we read every day, including weekends and school holidays and it really helped. Just a short amount.

Thanks. My dd 5 uses the old biff and k books and is able to read things like Harry Potter etc but her teachers mentioned she isn’t very good at the phonics practise tests. Maybe I’ll mention it when I get a chance as I definitely think my dd has sight read ie not using phonics and now is struggling with the tests.

OP definitely read everyday. I felt the same with my dd and was also told when all the others got sent home with books she wasn’t ready but I kept reading with her until it did click (I did morning and night to help her ‘catch up’. I reckon if I waited for the school she’d be quite far behind as some of the other dc parents did this and they are still chugging along on the first stages of the books.

fala If your DD can read Harry Potter, can they decipher words like Quidditch and Voldemort etc themselves or do you have to help them?

The phonics screening test screens for phonics, which is what your DD needs to decode new words. It is imo really important for later reading to be able to decipher new words. She should never assume she knows all words and thus 'try to make the alien words make sense'. She should read what is there, and then realise if it is a word she doesn't know, otherwise there will be the risk of muddling up words such as electric/eccentric/eclectic.

falalarr My child learnt to read using sight words. Phonics were taught alongside high frequency words at school but the phonics didn't really click for him until he was six. He likely would have failed the phonics screening test in year 1 but passed in year 2, he just wasn't ready yet.

I would try Reading Eggs, you do have to subscribe but it's not that expensive and really worth it in my opinion, really helped with grasping phonics here .

"her teachers mentioned she isn’t very good at the phonics practise tests" they shouldn't need to practise for the screening check if the child can accurately read any word they meet. I'd be concerned the school thought a child who can read Harry Potter needs to practise.

Schools shouldn't be teaching high frequency words as sight words that need to be memorised as wholes.

Just by way of an update I have taken your advice on board so thank you. I am now consciously ensuring we read every day (or am & pm if the will is there) and also being mindful not to baby him so that I am not holding him back without realising.
It is quite possible I wasn't pushing when I should have. I am aware of Reading Eggs through adverts but will take a proper look.

Mine loved Teach Your Monster to Read - the app worked better than the PC version for us - normally it's a paid app but if you keep an eye sometimes they do it free for a few days. They're just upset now they've both finished it!

Take a look at Reading Chest too - it's a subscription based lending library for reading book schemes - you can opt to only receive books from certain schemes. I used it with both my DC to supplement the books we got from school.

Sorry to crash the thread but which books are better than Biff & Chip? Something like Songbirds?

I definitely think SB kids can be top of the class for reading. But i do notice in dd class certainly 2 doing very well were sept born.
I do think parental effort can make a huge difference.
We changed dd book 2x a week every week she maybe missed 2 changes in yr r due to illness.
As pp said we did reading chest from part way through yr r and dd could read anything by the end of yr r. But not all parents have the time/energy nor do the lods after long days.
Imo it helps a lot if they know the basic phonics before starting yr r and you are sounding out words to them etc.
We read to the level i thought she should be on not what school thought.
I think SB also may not be fully paying attention in class after all their attention might be only 4min in yr r.
But what overall makes the difference is their enjoyment (and how easy they find it).
We experience this with maths where she struggles and also doesnt enjoy it as much. But helping with this is harder as it's not homework etc.

Ds2 is mid july baby (yr1) and the shortest and second youngest in his class. However he can see his older siblings read and is keen to read every day so is on ort band 6 and the best reader in his class.
DD1 had many children 6 months older and was a better reader than them.
What I am trying to illustrate is that although your son is young he can still succeed! Someone has to be the youngest! Read together every day and change books as soon as you finish a book to keep him interested. If you are concerned meet with the teacher to see if they have any hints and tips. I would be concerned as level 1 is where you would expect to be at the start of reception so it seems he has made no progress in 12 months?! Good luck! I hope you find something that works for him.