Should my DS have moved book bands or do they stay the same as reception ?

[baggingareaunattended]

DS is in year 1 now and bringing home yellow band reading books. I have told the teacher they are too easy now, but it hasn't been changed. Obviously it's only a few weeks in, so does he need assessing or how do they change book bands ? The main issue is him bringing the same books he's read before over and over. He says it's boring. He has one biff & chip yellow band one this weekend with only 3 words each page. He can do a bit more.

How many times have they heard him read this term? Ours read every day, but I know that isn’t the case everywhere. They may not have quite worked out where he should be yet.

There is new guidance from the DfE this year that children's reading books should exactly match the sounds they have already been taught so there may be some readjustment at the beginning of this year depending on what phonics knowledge they have secured in class.

Just go the library and find some other books for them to read then… light blue normally comes after yellow if that helps?

I must admit I rolled my eyes quite hard a couple of weeks ago when DS brought home books way below what he can read at home. I sat on my hands and, after an assessment, he is now bringing home books six bands higher.

They are probably still working their way through assessing them all. Yr1 DD2 is also bringing home books from last year's level. Her teacher listened to her a few days ago, but I know the reshuffle of levels isn't happening for a couple of weeks yet (presumably waiting until they have checked all the DCs and can move them around in one go).

It is also worth noting that (certainly on our school's scheme) the DC needs to be at the required level in both reading and writing to move up a level. So DD2 is fluently reading (and understanding, before I get jumped on for that!) level 9 & 10 books at home, but is currently on level 5 at school because her writing level is much lower. I am not convinced she will move up at this assessment TBH, but it's fine as we just provide books for her at home that meet her reading level. I buy bundles of second hand books on Facebook Marketplace then sell them on for the same/similar once done with them, so it's no great burden.
DD1 was moved off the phonics scheme and onto English earlier than was best in hindsight IMO, as her reading was so good and she ticked the boxes. She really struggled with the writing expectations in English for a long time. As a result, I am happy for school to ensure DD2 is fully secure in the writing aspect of each level before moving her up. I just make sure she has books to interest and challenge her at home

I used Reading Chest with my dc at that age, to ensure that they were reading phonics-based books (school was supplying a look-and-say scheme from the 80s) and to make sure they had material at the right level. With a class of 30 the teacher didn’t hear them read more than once a fortnight so progress through school books was slow.

I suspect our school had funding to replace all the reception books as we had a great range last year but what we’ve had so far in year 1 has been awful biff and chip that look ancient. I’m less bothered by the band which has stayed the same but more worried about book selection in general.

Lots of books for him to read at home. I used to ignore the school books as they were way below my DCs' reading level. Leave it in his bag and read other stuff with him ; and read to him too.

At home you do not need to be bound by all these stultifying rules. Make reading fun at home.

My y1 one child is bringing home red which I think is stage 4. In reception she was on stage 2 the pink ones so they have moved her up.

I realised about 3 hours ago at bedtime how to compare Oxford books with the school ones! Hopefully the attached chart shows? My dd is in year 1 and still on pink at school (she's struggled with reading) but she's recently started stage 2 at home so I'm going to ask if she can go up to red. They can always say no if they don't think it's a good idea. I know she's behind so I'm keen to try and catch her up a bit.

That chart does have the potential to make us all feel like shit parents! Should be on at least blue by now

It is also worth noting that (certainly on our school's scheme) the DC needs to be at the required level in both reading and writing to move up a level.

@SkankingMopoke that's interesting; I haven't come across this before - isn't children's reading ability usually some way ahead of their writing? DS is on level 10 and is fine to read words like 'mechanical' but would be hard pushed to spell them, despite being a decent speller for his age.

Some schools have an extensive range in each level and therefore children may move through then more slowly than a school with limited books in that level. Levels are not the same across schools

Just reading the book is probably not enough. There are questions to be asked about their understanding, prediction, examples, emotions, apostrophes, suffixes and the pictures etc.

@Legomania

It is also worth noting that (certainly on our school's scheme) the DC needs to be at the required level in both reading and writing to move up a level.

@SkankingMopoke that's interesting; I haven't come across this before - isn't children's reading ability usually some way ahead of their writing? DS is on level 10 and is fine to read words like 'mechanical' but would be hard pushed to spell them, despite being a decent speller for his age.

What they have to be able to read and what they write to pass a level isn't the same, just that they need to meet both the reading and writing parts of the criteria for the level to move on. Eg to finish the scheme, they must be able to read 90 words/minute. That doesn't mean they have to be able to write that quickly. This link isn't DCs' school, but if you scroll down and click the 'progression through Read Write Inc' pdf under phonics, you will see what I mean (DD2 is also on RWI scheme). www.stswithunsprimary.org/our-curriculum.html

Honestly don't let school book bands bother you as there often seems little rhyme or reason for the band they are on. Will through the book that is too easy for him then let him read something else. Either buy some books or go to the library or even as I resorted to at one point write your own stories including your family members and pets etc. There is more to life than school book bands despite what the school may want you to believe.

I remember this problem with my elder child - school book bands being slow to move up etc. We did regular trips to the local library and brought home all sorts of interesting things. Some of the big picture books we red to them as babies are really great to revisit at this age (short repetitive sentences and way more interesting than Biff, Chip, and bloody Kipper).

He must have eventually moved through the book bands because in year 3 he is now a free reader, but to be honest he didn’t engage with school books at all from about halfway through year 1. School didn’t care much as long as he was reading.

So I’ve started going back to the library with my current year 1 child. He has had the same three books from school in his backpack for three straight weeks now and they never get changed (despite me asking the teachers to). I actually give up!

But I also know that a refusal to go anywhere near the school books has not prevented my oldest child from being able to read (even if he’s not naturally a ‘reader’ - he seems to lack any desire to complete a story, but that could be because he has Aspergers and likes factual books more).

@seven201

That chart does have the potential to make us all feel like shit parents! Should be on at least blue by now

Don't feel shit ... They can jump lots of book bands in a school year

@bizboz

There is new guidance from the DfE this year that children's reading books should exactly match the sounds they have already been taught so there may be some readjustment at the beginning of this year depending on what phonics knowledge they have secured in class.

This is interesting. My son was moved back down two bands after assessment this year (he's just started year 2) but they are too easy for him. He reads smoothly and has good comprehension, can answer all the questions, reads with expression etc. Plus he's read this set before so they are repetitive and boring for him.

It sometimes feel like the process and assessment tools make the school lose sight of the actual goal, which is surely children who can read and enjoy reading. Putting him down two levels and then leaving him with the same book for 2 weeks isn't instilling a love of reading in him. Instead they run the assessment tool and do what it says regardless of the child. It's really weird.

I've told him the level of book doesn't matter, I just want him to be able to read good stories, and we've been reading other books.

@Jenala absolutely - I say this to myself at least once a week, that the restrictive structure of the school reading scheme, the insistence on recording daily reading etc has the potential to make reading into a chore and not something to be enjoyed. But we must be able to measure and record children’s reading, and plot it on a government approved graph otherwise there is no point 🙄

Ignore the micro-management from the DofE - you know your child. Just make reading fun at home.

I actually disagree a little with the leave it alone.....at the early stage of reading you don't want to disengage him by stagnating and rereading books.
Two things to try - have another word with the teacher.
The other thing I did was ask for 2 books home please - the one they want tonsend and one from a level (or 2 up.....). If he copes fine with the book band up then write this in the reading record and keep telling the teacher and asking for harder books. - it will involve you taking time to sort this at the end of the day.

Always use your local library to have more books to read at home too....both for your child to read and you to read to your child.

If you can afford it buy a pack of books lile biff and chip they can work through themselves.

(The comment others have made about comprehension is valid.....and can slow down reading progress later on....but having books at home keeps the kids engaged with reading while school won't let them change levels.)

@IamJuliaJohnson

I remember this problem with my elder child - school book bands being slow to move up etc. We did regular trips to the local library and brought home all sorts of interesting things. Some of the big picture books we red to them as babies are really great to revisit at this age (short repetitive sentences and way more interesting than Biff, Chip, and bloody Kipper).

He must have eventually moved through the book bands because in year 3 he is now a free reader, but to be honest he didn’t engage with school books at all from about halfway through year 1. School didn’t care much as long as he was reading.

So I’ve started going back to the library with my current year 1 child. He has had the same three books from school in his backpack for three straight weeks now and they never get changed (despite me asking the teachers to). I actually give up!

But I also know that a refusal to go anywhere near the school books has not prevented my oldest child from being able to read (even if he’s not naturally a ‘reader’ - he seems to lack any desire to complete a story, but that could be because he has Aspergers and likes factual books more).

What exactly does 'free reader' mean? My friend said her DS (year 3, same as mine but a different school) is a free reader but the Oxford chart a PP has posted suggests there are book band levels all the way up to year 6? Does free reader mean you are beyond all the coloured reading bands?

Look at Oxford owl online they have a lot of free reading books (free to read rather than ‘free reader’

You can pay but it fairly cheap

I assume it’s the point at which the child gets proficient enough to choose what they want to read. He can pick whatever he wants (tbf in my child’s case it might have just been ‘meh, good enough and not reading the school books anyway’).

In our school they have ‘set texts’ for each year group that are really quite challenging - think Charlotte’s Web for y3. He’s perfectly able to read the text but there is a lot of depth to that book that I’m not sure most year 3s would get. There are 5 or so texts that we are meant to choose from. But independent/free choice is encouraged too.

If you're motivated enough about supporting your child learning to read to start a thread on MN (and I'm not criticising, I did similar when my children were younger), you've more than got the resources to go to the 'Early Reader' section of the library for other books.

The Ahlberg's 'Happy Family' stories are great for that sort of age.

Or have a look on The Book People for very cheap 'packs' if you're in the position to spend a bit of money. My dc's school only had a few of the Julia Donaldson phonics one, so I bought a pack, used it with them and then gave it to the school.