So how often do your Y1 children get their reading books changed?

[LunarScream]

ds1 is in Y1. They're supposed to get their books changed twice a week - but ds1 hasn't had his changed on 5 out of the last 6 book change days.

And as the school is insisting that they read every book at each ORT level, including all the extension stories, AND the snapdragons AND the old sparrows branch stories that's an awful lot of books. 36 to be exact for level 4 alone. Which at current rates of book changing means they won't get anywhere near completing even one whole level in a year.

This is on top of them deciding to put all the kids back a level from where they were at the end of last summer term (which were already easier than the ones he could read before he started reception) on the assumption that their reading would have gone downhill over the summer. Which it didn't - we read with him every day. So it looks like they're expecting overall reading progress this year to be negative.

Am not happy - but don't know if this is normal or whether I should be kicking up a fuss about it.

Hmmn, I'd appreciate a bit of advice on this too. DD has been on Level 1 (well 1+ now but still basic) for a whole year. They get 1 book per week, sometimes none and with 36 books to get through she's still on that level.

She's Yr1 now, but the youngest in the class being just 5. The school did the foundation year last year so they didn't do much work to be honest mainly play and they're all a bit behind now as a result.

To me it seems that unless they started on level 2 or 3 when they started reception, having been taught at home, then they are all still on that basic level 1 or 1+.

How do I approach this with her teacher at parents evening? With 1 book a week only in term time she wont get on to level 3 until she's nearly in year 4. Surely that will disadvantage all the children?

Ds is in Year 1 and gets 3 new reading books every Monday.

hockeypuck - DS1 (late July baby so 5 for all of Yr 1) was exactly like that in Yr R and the start of Yr 1. Same number of books and everything. It turns out that he should have been working on his key words. Once I concentrated on getting him to remember some of those, he went ahead in leaps and bounds. I didn't realise, at DS1's school, that to move ahead you had to know these words. They didn't expect him to read all the books in the level, just be confident and he wasn't until he got those words under his belt.

I would have a word with the teacher and ask if you can work on the key words, or whatever they are called in their school. Explain to them your concerns and as what you need to do specifically to progress her. I am surprised that they aren't making more of an effort in Yr 1 though - it was the making of DS1.

At our school in Reception and Year 1 the books re in colour coded boxes outside the classrooms and it's up to parents to help their child change their book if they've finished it.You just choose another book from the same level. If they finish a book in school they change it again.

I'm a bit puzzled by having to read all the books in a level before going up - I wonder whether there's been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line? I just don't see that it's physically possible to read all 25-odd books in all however many levels it is -your dc would be starting work before they finished them all! Would it be worth checking with whoever is Head of KS1? There has to be some flexibility - children don't learn on an even curve.
For example, My ds stayed (quite rightly, if tediously) on the same level for about 4 months in year 1, then it suddenly started to click and he moved up 4 levels in about 6 weeks.I've just checked his reading record book, and he only read 3 green books before moving onto the next stage. He's now in year 2 and has moved from gold to free reader since the beginning of the year. And he only read 1 white book before moving on.

Thanks niecie and seeker. I've written down what I want to say to the teacher about only getting one book a week and staying on the same level for so long.

She knows all the 45 key words and a lot more so there should not be a problem with that. We'll see how it goes on Wednesday

It does look like we're at the extreme end of the spectrum as far as getting books changed goes AND in terms of having to read the whole lot. Will have discussions with his teacher after half term.

If she knows that many keywords Lunar she should definitely be moved up a level. DS1 didn't know all 45 at the end of Yr R and his Yr 1 teacher took a chance and moved him up. I found out about the relationship between the words and the book levels and we specifically learnt them rather than re-read books all the time and then DS was off. Like Seekers DS he got through several levels very quickly, stalled a bit over Christmas as the class were doing other things and then the holidays, and then raced through another few levels in the spring term and summer.

The keywords were key! Once you know those there really is not point reading every single book in the level.

I always wonder when I hear stories like this whether or not the school gets good results overall. They are being very thorough but surely the children simply aren't progressing. How can they do well in their SATs if they don't progress? I know SATs are the be all and end all but they are an indicator of how the school is.

I have absolutely no idea. Maybe twice a week? I think we read his school book with him on the weekend and on Monday and Wednesday but I can never really remember. His book is only changed when it is finished and that is normally once a week.

My son is in year 2 and everytime he comes home with a new book we read it that night I write a comment in his 'blue book' and the next day he comes home with a different book, so its daily for my boy.

Unless I write a comment to say he needs to practise the words in this book and can he hold on to it.

He's flying through them BUT its only because we do it nightly at home and he's gaining confidence. I'd say 3 a week would be at least reasonable.

Call me a cynic but I did it for both my parents and my mum should be dead by now (she's over 60, very active and way healthier than my dad) but dad has another 20 years to go apparently which I doubt as he has a variety of health problems and complications.

It's a load of baloney ignore it as much as you would a gypsy fortune teller or a government announcement of additional funding for something or other!

Ooops, wrong thread, how did that happen.

The children in my class get an opportunity to change their book every day (with a TA)- unless they haven't read it the night before, or if they are more able readers and are reading a short novel type book which will take them longer.

I might ask at parent's evening about the whole finishing the whole level worth of books before moving up. DD still has to read all 18 ORT per level, and then a number of other books at the same level from other schemes too, before going on to the next ORT level. As we do read/change books daily we do at least get through them relatively quickly I guess, but by mid way through the level DD is reading them fluently and very fast, so isn't be challenged, and they aren't really the sort of stories that are very exciting and gripping are htey?

We do supplement with books at home - Blue Bananas (which she is really enjoying), Read at Home character ranges (eg Barbie), etc. and we have just got some Colour Young Puffin and Sprinters. So ready far more challenging books at home, but more importantly books that she is enjoying and choosing to read herself.

It's just laziness on the teacher's part if you have to read all the books before you can move up. They can easily make an assessment at individual or group guided reading time - it's not rocket science. Also parents wouldn't lose the will to live at the start of each level.

Little update. I spoke to dd's teacher and she said the one book per week policy is set by the headmaster so she can't change that, but she said she does rush the children through some of the sets if they have the hang of it, but they will always read all the poetry ones and all the non-fiction ones in each level.

She has agreed to re-assess dd and see if she needs to move up a level this week.

I'm not sure why the headmaster is so convinced that more than one reading book per week is bad for the child. Some children love reading, some don't surely the ones who do love reading shouldn't be penalised for that. I can't afford to buy other reading-scheme reading books for home (although dd has tons of story books) and the local libraries are useless at stocking the reading schemes so I rely on the school to provide the books. Maybe I should make an appointment to see the head teacher about that.

Lunar, dd1's gets changed everytime I sign it off as read, which is everyday, pretty well!

Aaargh - after I tackled them about it last time things did improve a bit and for a while ds1 did usually get his book changed twice a week. But now they've slipped back into old habits and it's been 2 weeks since he last had a new one.

From what ds1 says they always hear the children read and change their books, girls first then boys, in register order. So when they don't usually get through the whole class and you're a boy with a surname starting with W it's the exception rather than the rule that you actually get a turn

So after a bit of digging it turns out that teacher and TA aren't reading with them at all any more. It's just volunteer helpers. Which is why they always start at the beginning of the list, because they're never told where the previous lot got to. Not exactly rocket science to keep a record is it? (Explains the read every book in a level policy too, as it means nobody ever has to make any decisions about what they get next.)

But, oh joy - ds1 finally gets to read and have his book changed, and the comment written in his record book is "Read the first page". Which is all of 5 words. Which can't have taken more than a minute at most even allowing for getting his books out and writing the comment.

I'm really starting to wonder quite why we're sending him to school if they're not going to bother reading with him, especially as they've also effectively opted out of teaching him maths because he's already able to do everything on the Y1 curriculum (see other thread). That's the two most important subjects, where just about all his learning is taking place outside of school.

Anyone else had this sort of situation? And how did you tackle it?

DD2 is currently in year 1. They are supposed to change their book daily, but occasionally miss a day. DD2 generally brings home a new book daily.

When DS1 and DS2 were in Year 1, they were supposed to change their books daily as well, but often missed, because they are independently left to do 'book browse' and nobody checks that they actually do change their books. My DDs have been far more likely to change their books when sent for 'book browse' than my DSs.

They move up levels when they are fluent at reading the level they're on.

We only get one book change a week, it is pants I asked for more frequent changes to be told that they cant do it, so I have just got DD1 to choose books at home and we practice with them.

DS in year 2 now, but since he started reception the school rule is pretty much that you hear your child read every night and that they finish the whole book unless it is particularly long (ie more than 36 pages). So books are changed every day. They do have to complete the whole series to move on, but given that they read one each night and get extra at weekends that is fair enough.

I had no idea schools vary so widely. Do you also get extra work? As well as reading we get spellings each week (not keywords but additional spellings) and sometimes math sheets over the weekends. Is this usual?

sybilvimes, I wish he would come home with extra work. It doesn't happen though - I guess actually setting it and checking it would be too much effort.

at all those of you who get frequent book changes.

My ds is in reception and we get one ORT book a week!

Ahh - it's still going on. We've had 1 book change since the 17th of March! It's just as well ds1 reads out of school too.

Just before Easter all the kids other than the top readers were suddenly moved up 2 levels. And then at the only book change since Easter they've all (including those who weren't moved up) gone back down one. So ds1 who was in the top group has now gone back down a level compared to where he was before. Something says that they had to record levels at the end of the term, and suddenly realised that none of them were progressing fast enough so moved them all up so they could record a higher level.

LunarSea, that does sound poorly organised and as if it has been fiddled for end of term statistics iykwim. I would be very worried about this on behalf of the children whose parents are not supporting/improving their reading progess at home.

I would double check your facts and then ask the head about this (preferably in writing) as your child is not the only one for whom the teaching of reading is being compromised in some odd way. There is no way the WHOLE class could suddenly be assessed and found to be 2 levels ahead and then all reassessed back down again.

How long has the teacher been in post ? Are they fairly new ?