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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Really no idea of expected reading level (end of Yr 1)

31 replies

Todayiscool · 27/07/2023 23:40

DD has just completed year 1 at school.

These are the books she is reading (photos attached). She reads these books with expression, but not 100% fluently (she sounds out some of the trickier words).

I was hyperlexic (ASD) so I have no innate idea of how well a nearly 7 year old 'should' be reading. I'm also aware there is a large scope for 'normal' at this stage of development.

DD's school are non-commital as to whether her level is expected, or above or below expected.

She's not a very enthusiastic reader, but we keep plugging (and trying to help her find some joy in it!).

If love to hear from anyone who understands primary education whether this type of book is approx. average for her age.

If she's behind, I'd like to spend some time thinking of how we can address it to build her reading confidence.

Of course I've googled it, but the results were contradictory.

Really no idea of expected reading level (end of Yr 1)

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gogomoto · 28/07/2023 11:31

@Todayiscool

You sound like my dd who we discovered could read fluently before she had language. Her dsis though really struggled, end of year 1 she was still on a few words on a page, but she overtook her sister by a levels getting a*'s

WGACA · 28/07/2023 11:50

That’s absolutely fine for end of Y1. Obviously you want to try to promote a love of reading and a desire to read for pleasure in your daughter (as will school.) As long as she can read and comprehend well enough to fulfil her full potential at school and in life, anything else is a bonus. In an independent school, she probably won’t have done the Phonics Screening Check as it’s only compulsory for state schools.

Ireolu · 28/07/2023 21:31

lavenderlou · 28/07/2023 01:10

Being a total geek about this as it's the school holidays, but here are a couple of pages from the book level we would expect our "age-related" pupils to be reading at the end of Y1/start of Y2. As you can probably see it's written to specifically match the phonics sounds taught at this phase (eg children would have learned the "j" sound spelled g/ge like in "giant" and "rage" and the hard "ch" sound. Not particularly inspiring to read though.

The best approach, IMO, is a mix of hearing your child read, reading to them and around them, and discussing what happens in books you are reading.

However, the ability to read is your ultimate aim and it sounds as if your DD is doing just fine. I know it can feel disappointing if your child is not as avid a reader as you were at that age. As I said, my DC was a naturally able reader, was read to daily since she was a baby, but now barely picks up a book in case it interrupts her watching some kid make a milkshake blindfolded on YouTube.

We had this book. DC was not a fan. Its phase 5 set 4 Little wandle I think. We got it in the second half of summer term. Torment got me and DC.

MoonriseKingdom · 31/07/2023 09:19

My 8 year old (going into Yr 4 in September) is an avid reader now but I think it was year 2 when her love of reading took off. I think prior to that reading felt like lots of effort although she was doing well as far as the general class standard went.

At that age my daughter loved books like the Isadora Moon books. She wouldn’t have been all that interested in the book you have shown and she wasn’t keen on the school reading books. I would look at finding things for her to read that really appeal to her rather than worrying about levels. Once my daughter found books she enjoyed her reading and comprehension really rocketed.

elsieandthepooch · 31/07/2023 09:57

You know that isn't "behind!"

Original poster

Todayiscool · 31/07/2023 12:32

elsieandthepooch · 31/07/2023 09:57

You know that isn't "behind!"

I 'know' no such thing.

From what I've seen other children in her class are on longer and more complex books (the parents are fairly competitive, so there's occasionally a message in the parents-WhatsApp about how they "can't believe the children are expected to read such complex books").

I read three years before I spoke. I have no idea what 'normal' reading looks like. I am aware that reading at 3 is not 'normal' and I do not expect it from DD.

And when I Google it, the books that DD's class read are not standard for the National Curriculum, and the age range is grey, and in some cases contradictory.

Do I believe is IS behind? Probably not. Would I like to confirm that? Yes please.

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