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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

Advice on DD's reaidng in reception

20 replies

PinkChick · 23/05/2008 10:05

Dd has recently moved on to level 3 as teacher say shes making excellent progress(which she is!), but each of the level 3 books we've had tor ead , sheas found incredibly easy!?
MAybe shes just that good, but these dont seem any harder than level 2 and teacher HAS said shes given her the more challenging ones(ie the ones you would get after a while of L3)

So ive asked for a few to bring home oevr hols and have commented in her reading record book...should i let her stay on these for a while or push for another level?, dont want dd to feel 'stuck' but no point in her reading these if they are this easy for her?

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Romy7 · 23/05/2008 10:47

we had the same issue with DS1 - they re-assessed his reading level and started him on ORT5 at the start of the magic key stories (couldn't start him after this as you miss the intro stories and none of the rest make sense) - DS is generally a lazy fat toad but he does like to read
we raised it at the nov parents evening though, not sure if you've got a parent's eve left now?
Either way, at the start of year 1 the teacher should re-assess to see where they all are after the holidays - so hopefully they will re-start her at an appropriate level
presume you are doing all the comprehension work and the 'what's going to happen next' stuff too - makes it a bit more interesting if they are whizzing through... (egg-sucking emoticon)

Original poster

PinkChick · 23/05/2008 10:56

Yeah we do that Romy..dont worry im sure some dont!

So dya think it would be possible for me to loan some of these magic key books from library?..i could try dd on them through hols as she also lurves reading?

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guitar · 23/05/2008 11:03

you neded to be sure she's understandign what she's reading - there is a big difference between reading easily the words - kids can read fluently - and understanding the words - ask questions

drivinmecrazy · 23/05/2008 11:05

When DD1 started zooming through the books in yr1 (had a crap teacher in reception who would only give DD 1 book per week) Her teacher started giving her questions associated with the books she had been reading. Now in yr2 she is able to choose her books and has a homework book to write about the story she has just read. This is fantastic because once they start to read in their heads, you have no idea if they have actually taken in the story, also invaluable handwritting practise

Romy7 · 23/05/2008 11:22

our library doesn't have ORT, but they do have loads of other 'beginning readers' books, errr, like the banana ones - colour coded yellow, blue and red according to defficulty, and a few others (which are actually much more interesting because it's a bit of variety). I tend to leave the ORT ones for school as otherwise as they work through the list in order it all goes horribly wrong - child saying 'i've read that' and teacher saying 'well, I haven't got it ticked off here' etc etc. it makes you a very unpopular mummy and schools are v protective over their ORT plans - in ours the reading buddies aren't allowed to listen to a child reading ORT books - only the teacher or TA...

you CAN buy them from amazon etc, I did once but only because DD1 was moving from a school that didn't use ORT into one that did, and the teacher suggested I get a pack to familiarise her with where she would be starting... it was a complete disaster as the new teacher told me to buy level 1+ or 2 as that's what they expected by the end of yr R, so I did... DD1 thought I was sending her back to nursery...

oh, and don't do the other thing I did at the same time, which was to think 'oh, well I'll buy a couple of those workbooks that come up on the 'you might also be interested in' section'. You end up with six copies of the same thing as it's a teacher's pack, and no child will ever touch them lol.

we also like the usborne farmyard ones that have big writing for little people and small writing for grown ups - it makes it a very shared experience and eventually they want to read your bit as well

Romy7 · 23/05/2008 11:27

drivin - DD1 had to review all the books she read in yr 2 as an extension. It drove her bonkers but do agree, once they are free readers you have to get a bit more imaginative to check comprehension!

mrz · 23/05/2008 19:06

If she is reading well why give her ORT? Let her chose real books from the library that have a good story. (can you tell I don't like ORT?)

msappropriate · 23/05/2008 19:10

Is she reading Wrens on ORT? If you have older copies they are at a stage higher than they should be. ie Stage 3 wrens are now reclassified as stage 2 and stage 2 are stage 1+

Original poster

PinkChick · 23/05/2008 20:50

HI All, she did read the older level 2's first(which as you say were actually level 3's), now shes reading the new level 3's...bumped in her ta tonight and mentioned it, she said SHE has already noticed but couldnt listen to dd read today as they have some other children in class who are proving a handful having probs so basically the good readers are getting put to one side..she said she will make a point of hearing dd read once she gets back after hols and speak to teacher about next level or alternative..think ill go to library to check out the early reader book too, thanks for that

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sarahbearhall · 23/05/2008 21:06

Hmmm - I agree with mrz. ORT is quite old fashioned these days anyway. Why not let her choose from all the amazing, fantastic, exciting REAL books at the library?!

Original poster

PinkChick · 24/05/2008 12:54

Hi, we do have our own library books, my concern was that the books she's reading now(and i dont know if there ARE ORT or not, they have a variety!) are too imple for her.

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mrz · 24/05/2008 16:32

If the school reading scheme books are too simple share REAL books with her that are FUN and will stretch her. You don't have to limit her to just reading school books and often schools will send home simpler books for home reading to those they use for guided reading in class.

TheFallenMadonna · 24/05/2008 16:41

Are you concerned that the teacher is underestimating her ability, or that her books are too simple and a bit boring?

I was very bad at making my DS plough through the school books. We did, just about, but mostly read other books/magazines that he found interesting. We did our own thing, and the school did theirs. Both parties quite happy with the arrangement. I did check with his teacher and she said as long as he is reading, enjoying it and making progress, then she was happy.

Original poster

PinkChick · 25/05/2008 19:56

MrsZi said in the post previous to your last that i DO read other books with her.

TFM, both really, theyve moved her up, so theyre doing the right thing, but IMO these books seem too easy/easier than the higher level 2 ones?

Like ive said, we have our own, but dd is a good reader, so i think the more challenging books at school are needed as well as what we read at home..we have computer games here at home and dd can read lots of the questions/instructions etc which are based upon children quite a bit older, i know w lots from memory(when ive said this says xyz)..but now shes recognising much longer/trickier words i dont want her to be stuck at this level at school..tbh 'level's dont interest me, i just want 'something' a bit more 'trying/challenging ' for her, dd finds them boring and sometimes rushes through them, so the we go back pointing things out no pages etc.

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Original poster

PinkChick · 25/05/2008 19:57

Sorry Mrs Z, looked like i was shouting there!, i wasnt

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Yurtgirl · 25/05/2008 20:04

Pinkchick - I am experiencing this too
My advice would be, dont interfere too much with what the teacher is doing. Get her to read them and fill in the record book, ask comprehension questions etc

But its far more important i think to spend time reading other books of her choice from the library etc.

Also in time she will find her level on ORT ifswim. Patience is a virtue Im developing

HTH

Coopertrooper · 26/05/2008 10:13

Been there, we were warned not to query the method and progress at beginning of the year at my DD private school which stresses their support for individual learning. The ORT books offer her no challenge at all at the level she's at.
So I have a child on Stage 5, only after much pushing my end, but who can read and comprehend at least at Stage 10 level.
The school's attitude appears to be that because she's way beyond her required level, they don't appear to be bothering pushing her onwards as they did when she started to learn to read.
We are doing loads at home not because I'm a pushy mother, but because she loves reading. One challenge I am having is finding age appropriate books so have settled on Enid Blyton and some Roald Dahl and Flower Fairies. I'm pretty frustrated with her school but see this as a long game so we are learning how to tell the time and concentrating on numeracy, writing things etc. DD is happy which is the main thing but starting to get into trouble for not concentrating (bored perhaps?), I'm frustrated that she's not getting the same value or attention as she would if she were struggling. I'm being careful not to criticise the school or seem negative in front of her or to other parents.

Original poster

PinkChick · 26/05/2008 19:48

HI YG and CT, im in same position CT, as dd is one of the better behaved 'studious' children, the teachers and TA(there admitance, not my assumtion) are giving more of their time to a couple of the children who are disruptive and have behaviour problems( one just moved into dd's class for kicking his heavilly pregnant(with twins) teacher!!!), unhappy he's been transfered to dd's class, think this should have been dealt with better as now it seems theyre spending an awful amount of time with him and these other few when dd and others are doing well and being left to tred water

Have been to scarborough in car today, half way there i thought i was gunna be ill(never normally get travel sickness), so got out, took a breather and got back in..dd said ill tell you a story mummy..so she told me this story about josie and the cake sale..as i had my head out the window i didnt realsie at first that she was reading it from her new school reading book..word perfect..neevr read it before!..so we'll be off to library tomorrow to pick up some for ourselves for oevr hols..and when back at school too i guess!

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hullygully · 26/05/2008 19:50

Get her books and let her take them into school to read. How can the school possibly object? This is what mine did.

Original poster

PinkChick · 26/05/2008 20:06

thing is i know her teacher and TA to be frank with, so when i go back ill get them to look at it again..i even said if theyre ahving trouble with this transfered boy and his behaviour and the other one or two theyre spending more time on, then I would go in, in my spare time and either help this group or the rest of the class to make sure they ALL get noticed and are able to read everyday!..will see what happens!

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