Year 1 Reading level’s gone backwards?

[EmilyStar]

DC2 has just started Year 1 last week.

When he finished Reception, he was bringing home blue level reading books, which he was reading well. We’ve continued reading at home over the summer holidays.

This week, since starting Year 1, he’s been bringing home yellow reading books (the level below blue). He’s been reading these easily.

Is it usual practice in some schools for them to drop children back a reading level at the start of the school year?
Or is this something worth bringing up with the teacher in case it’s a while before she gets round to hearing DC2 read at school?

I read on another thread someone saying that they often give slightly easier books at the start of term as children may not have been practising over the summer. That said our school seems a bit random about what comes home, as I think they let the children choose - we were sent one that's a band below and one a band above what he's been reading over the summer!

I was just searching old threads to see if this is common. My DS finished Reception on Green, having been moved up in May. He’s been started on light blue. MIL is a primary school teacher and has said not to stress. I think if he’s reading fluently with good comprehension he’ll start to progress again soon.

Probably just a mistake. Just remind the teacher which level he is on.

Might just be a way of settling in- ‘see, year 1 is easy? You can do it! Be confident!’
Or, trying to get organised with resources- this year there are more children on that level, need to move some books from another room, not sorted it yet.
Or that was the book they wanted, teacher let them as it is first week....
See how it goes!

This happened to DD in Yr 1 - she finished Reception on orange and we read a lot over the summer so had actually improved. Then came home with blue books for the first few weeks, which were so easy for her it was ridiculous.

I think what happened was her new teacher wanted to ensure they were all secure at that level while she got to know them. We just continued reading at her actual level at home, and I eventually had a quick word and she started getting the appropriate level books.

Thanks all.

I’ll leave it for a week or two and see what happens.

We’ve got a few harder books at home that DC2 hasn’t read yet, so we can use those for the time being.

Is your DS reasonably confident? Next time his book is swapped, can he mention to the teacher that he was on blue level last year and is finding yellow books easy? It might mean he get the opportunity to read to someone sooner.

Just an update with DS. Finished YR on Green, started Y1 having been moved down to blue, now been moved up to Turquoise so I can only assume they start all the kids at a slightly easier level when they come back after the summer hols.

No, sorry - I was one of the PP’s but not the OP.

OP here

DS is now back on blue books.