Year 1 reading levels after lockdown

[MGMidget]

Since my DD returned to school on 8 March the reading books she has been bringing home are really basic. They seem to have taken her back a couple of levels from what they were doing in her group during their 'live' video guided reading lessons during lockdown. I listened in to the lessons and she was getting lots of praise and 'well done's and clearly reading the words fine (with occasional mistake as you would expect). She also understood what she was reading as evidenced by her ability to answer the comprehension questions/discuss the text when asked.

On our parent whatsapp group it became apparent on return to school that a number of parents though their children had been given reading books that were a big step back and everyone has been wondering why. I gave the teachers a week or so thinking that maybe they were starting them off gently again but when my daughter was still coming home with really basic books 9 (including ones she took home in reception) I had to email the teacher to ask why. After a couple of emails and speaking to her she eventually said she had listened to DD read and given her a higher level book (the teachers have been choosing the books for the children apparently).

However, the book provided is still one level lower than she was reading in lockdown. It feels like the school are being quite cautious. I am wondering if there's a general policy in schools/amongst teachers at the moment to be assume children have regressed in lockdown and put them back onto lower level reading books?

I actually worked quite hard with my DD on her reading during lockdown so I know she has made progress. Therefore, I am somewhat puzzled at the cautiousness of the school.

Is anyone else having similar experiences at the moment? I am wondering what the point of home schooling was if the schools are going to assume pupils have regressed and put them back by six months or a year!

If this has happened to you did you keep pushing to get the school to provide more advanced books/discuss with the teacher again? I am wondering whether the just give up and do our own thing at home with reading books I think are the right level for DD!

I am a teacher so can see both sides...

I've found most of my class are fluent readers since lockdown as it is the one thing parents were able to do consistently and generally well. However, they are fluent word readers, and parents often are brilliant at helping children sound out and improve accuracy, but their comprehension skills are weaker than if they'd had the full on school input.

It is really hard to teach comprehension well. It isn't just recalling what happened but being able to point at the page to show where certain words are which told you details, explain why the boy was red in the face (was he embarrassed because he'd been caught cheating or was he angry because he wanted the sweets etc.. it is easy to sound like you are giving a good answer but one may be far more accurate), when predicting it shouldn't just be a vague guess but you need to use clues, think about similar books, say what made you think that.

So I imagine the fluency and sounding like a good reader is all there- which is half the job done. But the comprehension skills won't be solid if you jump on to harder books and are working on decoding them. I personally think a mix of the school (easy as many posters are saying) books and trickier books to help move decoding and vocabulary on is the ideal scenario.

I'd personally leave it if you've asked the teacher once and just do the school books but mix it in with some home books.

My reception kid has been having a fit in school because the phonics is boring and he wants to move ahead. They’ve got him going round helping other kids to distract him. At home he’s playing things like Pokemon and reading any words he sees (cereal packets etc) I’m just biding my time and reading loads together at bedtime instead. It’ll all come together eventually. Unless kids are upset and getting turned off school I wouldn’t make a fuss.

@GreyGiraffe that’s super helpful, thank you. I don’t know why schools haven’t given such clear comprehension goals to parents though, in normal times and especially in closed school times... in any case my reception aged child can absolutely explain why she thinks X about the story (looking at me as if I’m an idiot) but I will use your insight to help with the Y2 child, who read Harry Potter etc but doesn’t always know WHY they guessed X from the text. Thank you

It does seem, from the comments, likelots of school have taken a similar approach. That makes me think there has been discussion within schools or between schools on a policy regarding reading!

Obviously some children will have regressed but not all. I think one of the challenges teachers may have is an increasing range of ability to manage (in other subjects too) depending on the experience they had in the lockdowns. Quite a headache for schools to manage!

However, we are in the fortunate position to be able to afford those expensive levelled reading books and other online reading resources. Children who can’t are currently stuck with the school’s backwards steps!

The cynic in me does wonder what is going on and whether there is some attempt being made to exxagerate the task the schools have ahead of them to boost reading standards by not acknowledging progress made in lockdown!