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.

We had a note home from school saying that dc will likely have books they have read before this term due to revision of sounds and assessment of where dc are at after lockdowns. It can't hurt to get a pack of reading books/early readers and do plenty other reading at home too. We've always don't that. Read the school books as a tick box exercise and read lots more interesting ones of our own. The teachers are also looking for more than just the dc being able to read the words on the page - that's often the easy part

I’ll second the Ahlberg books, also anything in the Oi Frog! series is excellent for rhyming words. Also lots of Dr Seuss books eg Cat in the Hat.

The Happy Families Ahlberg books are indeed great, but are levelled at ORT 8-10 (depending on the book) so may be a bit tricky for OP's DC at present.

Reading books now have to match the phonics level children are on. If Ofsted visit they will check. Schools have until Easter to put this in place. A new hoop for schools to jump through.

@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.

The requirement has been in place since 2014.

I dont think they don't go up a band because of writing my son really struggles with writing, we think he maybe dyspraxic but he can spell and read really well. His writing is well below average though. At my son's school they read at least 3 times a week and expect children to read at home everyday. They also say that they might have the same book for longer as it helps boost their confidence to read books they know well

@Mischance

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

The D of E is dead. I don't think he ever cared much about reading.

@Mischance

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

Reading isn't fun if you can't read.

I asked the teacher about moving up on pick up and she said that DS gets too many words wrong to move up. Maybe he is different at school. I would say he occasionally makes stuff up. So we will have to just do some harder stuff at home. Just worried about them underestimating him. Maybe she'll move him now I've prompted.

If he's getting too many words wrong perhaps you should focus on accuracy rather than harder books.

I had this issue with my DD 7. She brought home an green book at the start of term, and is reading Roald Dahl to herself at home. I wrote an email voicing my concerns, as she is really very capable to read most things now. I expected her to come home with a couple bands higher, but after being assessed she came back with a chapter horrid Henry book, with no colour band. So is essentially a free reader. I would keep an eye at home, if he's getting words wrong that's why he's not being moved.

Same here with my year 1, they read a band lower at home than they do at school here.
I think they're reluctant to move her up as there's only her and one other in her 'reading group'.
It also concerns me that because they're the most able readers, they are expected to sit on the carpet and read independently during guided reading! No idea how often she actually reads to a teacher.

Maybe she'll move him now I've prompted.

I never moved a child up reading bands because a parent prompted, that isn’t how it works.

@OppsUpsSide is parental input not helpful at all? My DS was bringing home green despite reading (and understanding) much harder books at home. Surely this is useful for teachers to know?!

[quote Hollyhead]@OppsUpsSide is parental input not helpful at all? My DS was bringing home green despite reading (and understanding) much harder books at home. Surely this is useful for teachers to know?![/quote]
I'm wondering this too, I spend a lot more time listening to my DD read 1-2-1 than her teacher does, so I feel like I know what sort of level she's at!

As has been said earlier in the thread reading books should match the child's phonic skills and knowledge not book banding colours which were created for a totally different system.
As a teacher I'd invite you in to demonstrate my expectations so you kno what we look for in school.

@OppsUpsSide

Maybe she'll move him now I've prompted.

I never moved a child up reading bands because a parent prompted, that isn’t how it works.

You may not move just because a parent has prompted, but I have seen a prompt lead to the teacher checking the child again and then moving them a number of times amongst other families at DCs' school. Thankfully the teachers realise mistakes can be made, or DCs mess around on the day of assessment and not give a true reflection of their abilities. As long as the parent isn't at the door complaining every other day/week, it seems like a very reasonable way of dealing with it. Last year DD2 was sent home with several books in a row that were well below the phonics level I knew she was on at school. I (politely!) questioned it, and it turned out that a set of books had been put in the wrong basket. The TA who had been swapping the books hadn't noticed. Problem solved! It was worth raising.

@Norestformrz so if in class they haven't covered certain phonics yet they can't be on book with those phonics in? Is that what you are saying? So they are covering quite a few diagraphs at the moment like ay, ai, oi, ow.

@OppsUpsSide

Maybe she'll move him now I've prompted.

I never moved a child up reading bands because a parent prompted, that isn’t how it works.

My dds teacher did! They weren't aware of her ability at all, she went from green straight to free reader!

[quote baggingareaunattended]@Norestformrz so if in class they haven't covered certain phonics yet they can't be on book with those phonics in? Is that what you are saying? So they are covering quite a few diagraphs at the moment like ay, ai, oi, ow.
[/quote]
No that's not what I said. It's based on the individual child's current phonic knowledge and skills (can they accurately read the words?)
The teacher will want to discourage guessing and looking at pictures and encourage accurate decoding.

My Dd is in yr2 so a bit older, but her school are asking them to read the same book 3 times before it gets swapped. In a bid to increase fluency and comprehension. I'm interested if this is a school thing or standard?! Just seems like a recipe to put them off reading, to me.

Also can anyone remind me how far they get with phonics in reception, I can't remember where the reception /yr1 line is.

@Indecisivelurcher

My Dd is in yr2 so a bit older, but her school are asking them to read the same book 3 times before it gets swapped. In a bid to increase fluency and comprehension. I'm interested if this is a school thing or standard?! Just seems like a recipe to put them off reading, to me.

Yes, we are asked to read it "several" times to help with fluency, although it is swapped weekly regardless. This is only whilst on the phonics scheme though (which goes up to ORT level 8/purple book band equivalent). Once off it, they pick a book from a selection that is appropriate to both age and ability until able to free read, changing it themselves when they've finished it. After that, they are only limited by age appropriateness of the theme.

In terms of where they should be at the end of reception, I believe they aim for level 3 or 4 but obviously many will finish above and below that. They split the class into different levels and mix the year groups so each child can work to their level, rather than pushing ahead with the whole class as one to meet the expectation. Last year in reception, DD2 was with a couple of DCs from her class, a number of yr1s, and a few yr2s. There is such a variation in ability: there are 3 DCs in her (yr1) class that could potentially finish the scheme at Christmas if they pass the final assessments, but equally there are still half a dozen or so DCs in DD1's yr3 class still on the scheme (mostly lockdown casualties).

@Indecisivelurcher

My Dd is in yr2 so a bit older, but her school are asking them to read the same book 3 times before it gets swapped. In a bid to increase fluency and comprehension. I'm interested if this is a school thing or standard?! Just seems like a recipe to put them off reading, to me.

We've been told they need to be read twice (government guidance I think?) Now that his books have got longer, we get DS to read once in his head and once out loud and the school seem happy with that.

I've just realised something, it could be coincidence. Do the Oxford levels correlate to the phonics sets?