reading recover and can you ask for it?

[colie]

I spoke to dd1 teachers on Tuesday (as wanted a couple of thing on her report card clarified). Her teacher and deputy head (who also teachers her in english and maths) assured me all is fine with her.
Anyhow, spoke to a mum in the playground this morning and mentioned dd who is finishing yr1 is on level 4 on oxford reading tree. She said her son, same yr, is on level 5. She also said her nephew, same age but in another school was on level 4 ort, and got put into reading recovery. She said this really brought him on and he is now on level 5.
I had always thought dd reading level was not very high but am now really concerned that she may be needing extra help but the school are saying she is doing well.
I don't want to go back to the school as I feel they are going to think I am really pushy and possibly looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

Can anyone tell me what level their kids are on and what they know about this "reading recovery". I know all kids are different and I wasn;t concerned that dd was kind of bottom of year 1.As long as she is happy at school then I am happy. I just don't understand why some schools feel that level 4 is not acceptable for yr 1 and my dd's school feel it is fine.

Thanks for any replies in advance.

[goblinvalley]

I know that it probably won't help - but don't worry

Do you like your childs teacher? Do they seem competent and were you happy before you spoke to the 'helpful playground mum'?

I help with readers at my sons school, and i can assure you that the varying ability of reading is massivly wide. We have reception children that are overlapping the YR 1 children, as well as YR 1 children reading at a 12 year olds level.

There can be many reasons, one of which can be that the reading scheme is boring The other is the obvious answer in that she is still very young and reading may just not have 'clicked' yet. Most schools are on the ball with reading, and although she may not be racing through the ORT, she may be very competent in class work, so that the teacher knows that her literacy is coming along well.

If you are really concerned have a quick word with her teacher, but i am sure she is doing fine - or they would have said.

hth

[itati]

This year the teachers have decided to not put the children on any scheme so I have no idea what level she would be on.

[cece]

Not many schools actually run a proper Reading Recovery scheme. The teacher has to be specicfically trained for it and it is expensive to staff as it is an intensive one to one session daily.

[Twiglett]

ORT levels

children learn to read in fits and starts .. it's not a steady progression .. one day they can't do it, next day they can

I wouldn't be concerned at all

[castlesintheair]

Agree with goblinvalley: there is such a huge variation in ability at this age. One of the reasons my DS's reading took off (clicked) this year in Year 1 is that I told his teacher (we write comments in a book) that he was finding the ORT dull. She started sending back one ORT fiction and one non fiction book which he loved. He went up about about 5 reading levels in a few weeks after that.

Quite a few of DS's classmates do reading recovery - it is called PIPS at our school. I know it has helped them greatly. I'd ask your teacher or write a note - I think they appreciate it as it's very hard for them to keep track of 30 kids all the time.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I don't think one ORT level is a huge gap.

[colie]

Thanks everyone. I feel a bit calmer now. I think the problem is that she is bored with the reading.

Once schools go back I will ask her teacher if she can sometimes get something different to the ort. She did once give her a red riding book to read which she really enjoyed. Thanks castlesintheair.

Thanks again. I have to stop worrying.

[goblinvalley]

We're parents - worrying comes with the job

[cece]

TBH we hardly read the books sent home form school. We just go to the library and read those. Just because the school ones are so boring! DD has just got level 3 for her reading so don't think it has hurt her

[maverick]

Avoid Reading Recovery at ALL costs -it's a whole-word reading intervention. I suggest that the problem is the ORT books which are also whole-word. Why isn't your son using decodable books? They are the obvious type of reading book to accompany a genuine synthetic phonics programme.

You may find the following helpful. Scroll down to find 10 reasons why beginning readers should only use decodable books:
www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexics/resources_and_further_11.htm

[Madsometimes]

My dd was on Ginn level 3 when she left year 1, and by the middle of year two she was onto free reading. Many children do not learn how to read gradually, it is very sudden

Over the holidays get lots of books out of the library, and read every night just like it is a school night. I am sure if you do this, her reading will come forwards.

[mrz]

If there were no "visible" levels parents wouldn't worry. Perhaps publishers should produce reading schemes where only the teachers are aware of levels