Kids in Year 2? What's their current reading level?

[glutten4punishment]

I've a DD who turned 6 at the end of the summer and has just started in Year 2.

She's currently at Orange reading stage but I'm really concerned that she should be much further ahead. Particularly when I look at her circle of friends, most of whom are on accelerated reading (and have been for a while).

It is our fault as we don't do much reading at home so I'm feeling pretty rubbish about it. I'd be interested to hear what stage other Y2 kids are at.

My DS has entered Y2 and is on gold. But Orange is for aged 5-6 so is ok and it's a guide really.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the reading levels. You say you don't read much at home and I think there's your answer - Are you doing it everyday with your DD now and did you do keep it up over the summer? Also use your own books from home - the Oxford reading sets are useful tools for gauging ability but the stories are pretty bad (in my view) - get your DD to choose some nice stories that she'd be interested in reading.

I can't remember the colours now but my DD is a late summer baby and could hardly read at all at the beginning of Y2. She was having extra support and time with flash cards etc. I was confused because I thought she was bright but her friends were so much further ahead. She started catching up in Y2 and is now in Y9 and mostly top set. Do some reading together at home if you can, it helps to keep them interested if nothing else. Keep encouraging - my DD was beginning to give up because she thought she wasn't clever and that might have been more of a problem.

Meant to say - I think that the reading / phonics thing requires some kind of development in the brain and they struggle till then. But when it happens they just get it. Totally non scientific explanation but I remember reading about it at the time.

My DS also 6 just moved up from orange to turquoise so I think Orange fine for start of year 2. Personally I think a steady start gives them time to develop comprehension skills and spelling skills at the same time. It’s not a race, try not to worry about others and let her go at her own pace and get an enjoyment of reading.

My son turned 6 in June and is on orange level although I expect him to be on turquoise soon. We read every night and have done so since reception. I also subscribe to Reading Chest. He had a glowing end of year 1 report and passed his phonics test so I'm happy with his progress. Obviously there are children on higher levels but I'm not concerned.
In my son's school, (very wealthy area in Lancashire but not prep school pushy) orange level is right on track. I wouldn't beat yourself up over what you have or haven't done. If you're worried then just up the reading. She's not behind by any means.

DS1 was so far behind in Year 2! We were told he wouldn't meet expected standards for sats. He's now just starting Year 5 and he's spent the summer holidays reading the Harry Potter series and is now halfway through Deathly Hallows. We're now being told he's at greater depth. So my experience is that they will catch up. (For what it's worth, I don't think phonics suits all children and I also think that some of the books used in schools are so boring that they put children off.)

P.s. I've never been able to listen to mine read every night. I have 3 kids close together in age and a job. I also think it's good for children to come home, have tea and play - not do more school work.

One entered Y2 on gold or white, the other was on purple - but I have two good readers (both 100% on the phonics screen in Y1) and they were very much the top end of their class. Kids from everywhere from red upwards in the last Y2 class I used to hear readers in with turquoise the expected level in our school for them to start Y2 at.

My son has just started Yr2 and is on green book band which is the one below orange. I've been reading with him every night since he was a baby and he still struggles with reading and writing. There's a family history of literacy problems (although no one has ever actually been diagnosed with dyslexia) so I'm not surprised. My advice would be not to worry about it and definitely do not let your son realise that it's an issue and then try and read more with him.
My son loves "reading" comics although I suspect he mainly looks at the pictures but it's a great way to get him to look at a book on his own. The Beano and the Dav Pilkey books are great.

DS2 is on turquoise and has been since about June time. He's just started Y2. What a PP said about phonics just clicking is true. DS1 has just started Y4 and is still on turquoise as it hasn't clicked for him yet. From Y2, they have given him a lot of additional reading support to make it click for him. It hasn't, but his confidence has increased. We read books outside his band at home as I'm keen to have him read age appropriate things and I would like him moved up a band at school. He can do more than he believes.

Comparison is the theif of joy. Don't worry about anyone else.

Thief!!!

DD is slightly older (was 6 in the spring) and finished yr1 on gold. We won’t find out until the end of this week what book band she is as they reassess all the kids at the beginning of the year. I expect she is probably white though as we did loads of reading over the summer.

She started year 1 on Red... so they can move significantly over a short period of time, I wouldn’t overthink it.

Mid-August born Dgs1 is on purple and has been since June. He has absolutely no interest in reading anything except his school reading book and getting him to read more than 4 pages a night is a Herculean task. However his yr 1 teacher said he was a fluent and eager reader, so his attitude must be completely different at school!
He was made encouraged to read over the holidays so his dm was glad he had maintained his reading level when his new book was sent home

My Son has just started year 2 and he was on gold books at the end of year 1. He seems to be average to lower for his class. It's like pulling teeth getting him to read anything though!

The range in dgs's class at the end of yr 1 was red to brown. Dgs told us, in the same week, that x had moved onto red and everybody was really happy for him and y had to go to ks2 to get her reading books as she had finished all of ks1 ones and that she was the first to do so and that she was an amazing reader.
Orange/Turquoise would seem to be average in dgs' class

So sorry for the delay, I've been wiped out this week with some sort of virus.

Thanks for all your replies. I just can't help feeling like I've failed her. It's been really helpful to hear your stories, particularly those with kids where one day it just clicked.

My worries have become worse as she's now been put on the bottom table for spellings which I don't really understand. I've asked to speak with the teacher as I don't know what's going on. If I don't know, how can I support her at home.

She's also close to falling behind in maths. Again, we do very little practice at home and it's prob our fault but I'm so desperate to nip it in the bud.

We've always felt that she's a kid and should be doing kid stuff in free time but clearly this is going to have to change.

Totally let her down. Just hope it's not too late to rectify.

Honestly I wouldn't worry. Hope you are feeling better. Just try and keep up a bit of reading at home / sight words. Maybe use teach Your Monster to Read. It's very good bad free! (Think the pc version is but the iPad app you need to pay a small about)

You really haven’t let her down.

Take her to the library and let her choose some books.
With maths, does the school subscribe to any sites? Ours does education city which my kids have always enjoyed.
Practice the spellings at home during the week. I think it’s pointless myself but it will help her feel more positive if she’s getting them right.

You're very kind.

Just taken a look at Teach my Monster to Read - will definitely download.

Re spellings: She was given some to learn, and learn as part of a sentence. All fine, knew them inside out. But she wasn't even tested on these words she was asked to learn. Instead she was tested on some other words, one of which she got wrong. As a result, she's been moved to the bottom table. Fine as she'll get extra support but I've had no communication about this and I've no idea why.

Don’t get too hung up about the reading. Obviously it’s good to help her to improve but I think it’s more important that she enjoys books.
The libraries are usually really good and she can find books that she wants to read whether they’re books about facts or stories.
Read them to her and let her see the words. She’ll soon improve that way and hopefully enjoy books.

Be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up about what you haven't done. Focus on how you cab support your DD going forward. The good thing is that it's all been picked up on and she'll get some extra support. Do your teachers run workshops for parents? We get them to help us best support learning at home the same way they teach at school. Perhaps something worth asking for.

You said in your OP that she's a summer born and I very much believe that there is still a noticeable gap at this young age. Like with walking and speaking as babies - they all get there in the end and it's not a race.

I really feel your pain. My DD who has also just started y2 is good at reading but has been struggling with writing and isn't
too hot on maths either. School are being totally useless and have no suggestions for extra support (either for home or at school). They also raised no concerns at all until her end of y1 report. She thinks everyone else in the class is cleverer than her

Like you, I'd thought that we should just support her generally e.g.reading to her, taking her to museums, doing every day maths like cooking, and do her homework and that school would let us know if we needed to do any more. I now realise I was completely wrong about this and I feel I've let her down.

FWIW with the reading though we were told they aimed for orange by the end of year 1 so it doesn't actually sound to me like she's behind. Maybe your DD's class is quite able?

All I can say to myself is at least I know now, and the most important thing is that our DDs have mums who care about them and will support them to do their best. They are still little and there is lots of time to catch up.

My Son has just started year 2 and he was on gold books at the end of year 1. He seems to be average to lower for his class. It's like pulling teeth getting him to read anything though!

if reading is like pulling teeth, could that be because he feels under too much pressure? I'm only asking because honestly gold level is not average to lower end in most year 2 classes at this time of year. Maybe take a step back and allow him to enjoy reading slightly easier books?

Op I teach year 2 and they can be any level from red to Lime (sometimes beyond) but the majority at this time of year I'd say would be turquoise and purple.

Go speak to her teacher, so you know what's happening and why.

Reading is important and it takes practice. If you dont practice with her, she's going to get overtaken by kids who do practice. That might not matter in one way - long term she's likely to catch up - but it may cause her to think she's not as capable or "good" at school stuff as other children which can cause problems later on.

If you decide at some point that you do want to be more active in supporting her numeracy and literacy at home then there are lots of ways to do this that look like play/fun. It doesnt have to be sitting down to do worksheets at all. And yes, she is small and he does need downtime for free play as well.

OP my summer born DD didn't catch up properly until Y5 at least. She was in the bottom set for everything at the beginning of Y2. Could hardly read and would write a single sentence in the time it took the rest of the class to write a story. Don't worry, you haven't let her down. She will get there. Keep encouraging, celebrate every win. If she compares herself to others, it's very important to make sure she understands she isn't less clever, just younger. My DD has gone from bottom to top set maths and on course for doing gcse early. Where they are at the beginning of Y2 doesn't have much to do with anything in our experience.

My just-turned 6 year old KS2 is still on Green, so not even on orange yet. I'm having to force myself not to stress. He is about 4th youngest in his class - everyone else is above him. In everything, for everything. There is no way so far he can possibly pass the exams they have at the end of the year...it's stressfull :(