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Original poster

Leap from ORT 9 to Horrid Henry novel, dd struggling (Y1)

54 replies

imaginaryfriend · 22/12/2008 22:36

DD's doing great with her reading. She's in Y1 and has been reading ORT stage 9 and other reading schemes of similar difficulty. We've got a big range of other books at home for her to read including some first Corgi chapter books.

On the last day of term she was given a Horrid Henry chapter book to read over Christmas and she's really struggling with it. There are many words she can't read on every page such as 'circumstance', 'tendency', etc. It's got such a hugely different range of vocabulary to anything she's read so far.

Anyhow what I wondered is should we plough on with it? It's rather a painful process. Or should I put a note in the reading book to tell the teacher it's too hard for dd? I'm assuming she thought dd was up to it as she wouldn't have given it to her otherwise. How much of a challenge should a reading book be?

OP posts:
abigproblem · 22/12/2008 22:40

DD is on stage 7 and in year 1 she can read them with out any problems. I would be worried about destroying her confidence/love of reading.

PlonkerTeatowelOnTheirHeads · 22/12/2008 22:43

I'm sure I heard/read that they should be able to read 90% of the words?? If there are many words on each page that she is struggling with, then yes, I would personally say that this is too hard.

The real tester for me though is, is she enjoying it? If the answer is yes, then by all means plough through. If the answer is no, then stop. Don't ask her to do it if she isn't enjoying it - she sounds as though she is doing fantastically well and you really don't want to put her off.

I speak as a fellow parent though, not a teacher - hopefully a teacher can come along and help you ...

dirtygertiefromnumber30 · 22/12/2008 22:44

ah yes plonker, was just about to come on and quote that 90% statistic. ive heard that too.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/12/2008 22:48

abp, dd wouldn't have managed this Horrid Henry book when she was reading ORT 7. It has a lot more vocabulary and punctuation to deal with than ORT 9 or 10 which dd reads very well. I remember someone once telling me that some of the Henry stories were aimed at first readers and some not and I can't help but think perhaps this isn't aimed at a first reader? dd's been able to read My Naughty Little Sister books for instance, and Enid Blyton's Amelia Jane.

As to whether or not she's enjoying it ... Well, she's partly enjoying the stories but the process of reading is very halting and I'm not sure how much of it she's understanding or taking in compared to her normally fluid reading.

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Hulababy · 22/12/2008 22:49

If it is painful and she isn;t enjoying it - don't do it. It will put her off and that is never a good idea. Instead choose something you feel is more suitable and appropriate for her.

Reading really shouldn;t be a challenge. It should be relatively easy going wth just a e words they can't do IMO - just one or two per page. Otherwise it gets labourious and the child can get fed up. You want to avoid that.

If she is enjoying the story but finding the book hard going, share the reading with er - a page each for example. It gets through the chaters quicker that way and helps with keeping the interest going.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/12/2008 22:50

I think she's probably not reading 90% of the words on most pages, maybe more like 80%, but what she is reading is very stilted and has lots of stopping and starting.

OP posts:
Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/12/2008 22:52

HI Hula , I have been sharing it with her a little and giving her lots of help to decode the words she hasn't come across before.

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abigproblem · 22/12/2008 22:53

Have you been moaning about reading levels I did a while ago and got a very long book back in return LOL

Hulababy · 22/12/2008 22:53

Share the reading. If she struggles on a word just tell her it and let her move on quickly.

Hulababy · 22/12/2008 22:54

x posts - keep doing it hat way if she wants to continue. Otherwise switch books to one of your own.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 22/12/2008 23:00

abp, no, I've been quite happy with the books she's had lately.

Hula, I think we'll get to the end of one chapter and then switch to one of our own books. I've bought her some lovely ones for Christmas which I think she'd get more out of.

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Hulababy · 23/12/2008 08:37

Sounds like a good plan.

tigermeow · 23/12/2008 20:46

If she can read 'My naughty little sister' then I would say she is doing really well. Horrid Henry appears to look easier than it really is, we've found that they really don't make good 'read-aloud' books.
Stage 9 ORT in Year 1 is excellent!
I'd just read something else instead!

ChasingSquirrels · 23/12/2008 20:50

agree that some of the henry's can be more difficult, ds1 wouldn't read these when he was reading other chapter books. They are crap anyway, finish the chapter and read he something better

aintnomountainhighenough · 23/12/2008 21:27

Hi IF. Just a bit of extra support at this festive time . My DD has also just finished ORT 9 and has been moved onto chapter books although we don't have any 'work' over the holidays. It does seem quite a jump to go to Horrid Henry and I would stick with the books you have bought for her. I also am very concious with my DD at this stepping stone to chapter books that we keep the love and enjoyment of reading and it doesn't become a chore. As regards sharing reading, my DD sometimes asks me to re-read what she has read - I think she likes all the silly voices!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

NotanOtter · 23/12/2008 21:32

ds is reading ort 7 atm

i have found that ort alone particularly the biff and chip stories are too simplistic to make the leap - firflies and other variants are more taxing and have a far far better DEPTH of vocabulary

ds just reads the lovely young childrens books ie tiger who came to tea - mog books etc as they are good length and he sounds out and seems to glide over particularly difficult words

i am keen for him to stick to these books which we possess hundreds of - as they are a good LENGTH he can read a couple with HUGELY varying vocabulary without the bogged down feeling that longer books can give a child hth

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/12/2008 22:16

I totally agree that the Henry books are crap. Dd is distinctly unimpressed! We've almost finished the chapter she chose and then we're going to put it aside and read some of her other books. I can't understand why they are considered to be good 'transition' books from reading scheme to chapter books. Some of the shorter Roald Dahl's are more reader-friendly I've found.

ANMHE, hello , do you mind me asking which chapter books your dd has been started on? Just curious to see what other schools do.

And anybody else actually, what were your child's school's first chapter books?

Actually we often get out dd's old favourite picture books and she has a go with them to expand her vocabulary and enjoy reading books that previously I always had to read to her.

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jINGLESbells · 23/12/2008 22:23

ORT ST9 at yr 1 really is fantastic.
My advice would be not to push her on too quickly though, there is a huge jump between the ORT books and chapter books. Unfortunately I did this with ds2, who was reading really well and put him off completely for about a year, the jump was just too big, and he hated the fact he couldn't read them fluently. He's 7.4 now and yr 3 and the junior school he's at have taken him back and started him on ORT again Treetops Level 13/14.
I would really recommend finding some of these, they're chapter books but plenty of pics still, some cartoon bubble writing, appropriate type for expression and he's really enjoying the stories. Hope that helps.

jINGLESbells · 23/12/2008 22:26

meant to say, teacher has told us 1 in 20 words should be new/difficult.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/12/2008 22:33

jingles, I've made it really clear to dd that I think this is the wrong kind of book for her. She's plugging on with it though, bless her. And she really impressed me with reading words like 'disappointment' tonight. We've got 3 pages left to go of the chosen chapter and then it's bye bye Henry.

I'm in no rush to move her on too quickly. I've been enjoying how fluidly she has begun to read the ORT 9 (and other scheme) books.

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Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/12/2008 22:34

I would say, on average, in the Henry books, dd is getting stuck on at least 1 in 20 words, some pages it's more like 3 or 4 in 20, some a bit less.

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tigermeow · 23/12/2008 22:48

A good bridge are those Rainbow Fairy books-shortish chapters, large print, large pictures...shame they are so dire. My DD enjoyed these (I did not)! My Naughty Little Sister has been a geat hit as have some of the easier Dick King Smiths. She's also read a lot of the 'early reader' section in the library with books such as Colour Young Puffins and the 'I am Reading' series. The 'I am reading' set of books was actually excellent for bridging the gap...DD reads those over and over.HTH

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 23/12/2008 22:54

Tiger - dd won't read those Rainbow Fairies books. I'm slightly relieved as they are horrible but I've been recommended them by so many people I'm sure they're a good bridge.

I've been looking at the 'I am Reading' range actually and I got dd a Dick King Smith book for Christmas to read.

Why would the school offer Horrid Henry as an option at this point though, rather than some of those you've suggested?

OP posts:
NotanOtter · 23/12/2008 22:54

she is obviously reading well - the one thing you need to work on is a LOVE of reading and HH obviously is not doing that

Hulababy · 23/12/2008 22:56

Hsave mentioned them before but the Allan Ahlberg books are fab - there are 4 of them. Things like "The man who wore all his clothes"

Daisy and the Truble with.... are good books too. Written from POV of a 6y and in same waya 6y girl would talk. My 6y DD loves them.