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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

Can I ask which level ORT books your YR 1 children (particularly boys) are on

58 replies

CrackerNut · 06/03/2009 20:18

Just interested to know as I don't really speak to any other mums in my ds's class, and although I know he is behind, i am wondering how much.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ABetaDad · 09/03/2009 10:23

Don't get me started on the pushy mother that I caught searching through my DS1 bag to check what ORT level he was on.

Its not a race!

hobbgoblin · 09/03/2009 10:27

Mine are behind on ORT but my 7 year old reads Beast Quest books no problem, so now his lovely school lets him read those instead of the tedious ORT stuff. What A DIFFERENCE it has made!

wasuup3000 · 09/03/2009 10:44

Fircone!

What the heck are YOU on about-?

My point was that all children vary and they can catch up but as a parent you must trust your instincts!

I can't help it that my son is above average, my daughter wasn't but caught up and yes my youngest at school is a free reader but this is probably due to the fact that he has hyperlexia and is on the autistic spectrum!!

Why do you feel the need to attack my post?

If you have a problem can you have the courtesy to contact me directly rather than slag me off on the forum?

How very childish!!

wasuup3000 · 09/03/2009 10:48

londonartemis:

aabsolutely what-? Have you no opinions of your own?

wasuup3000 · 09/03/2009 10:50

For those of you who only read 1/2 a post here is the 2nd part

"All children are different and a specific learning difficulty may only become noticeable to teachers if a child falls significantly behind his classmates or if a child has an uneven EYFS profile or if a child does significantly better in other subjects but fails to improve in a specific area despite small group teaching methods.
In short it can take time for teachers to realise a child may have a spld but trust your gut instincts and keep on keeping on at people about your concerns.You know your child best, believe in yourself."

hth

throckenholt · 09/03/2009 10:53

behind is a relative thing. My DS was lousy at reading in year 1 and really didn't want to have anything to do with it. Reading homework was painful for all concerned. Now in year 3 he is of his own volition picking up books to read - and even carry in around with him to read when he has a spare moment.

If you had asked me 2 years ago (or even a year ago) - I would have said no way is that likely.

I think reading is one of those things kids do at different ages - you can't really rush it. But by age 7-8 they should have got it.

As for ORT - no idea - our school uses a whole range of reading books (some ORT) - but they colour code them - and I have no idea which order the colours come in or how they correspond to ORT levels.

verygreenlawn · 09/03/2009 12:43

FWIW I didn't read wasuup's post as bragging - just an experience of three different children all reaching three different levels at different times. Which is kind of the point, isn't it?

edam · 09/03/2009 12:50

Ds is on level 7. I made the mistake of asking him if there was anything he wanted me to say to the teacher at parents' evening (tonight) and apparently he wants to go up to level 8.

Will I look like the pushiest parent ever if I do this?

verygreenlawn · 09/03/2009 12:53

Oh I always cringe at this too. Ds1 used to do this to me, basically they had all the books on display in the classroom and he used to want to pick the one he liked the look of.

Maybe just say he's expressed an interest, and that you're keen to foster his enthusiasm and having a preference?

edam · 09/03/2009 12:54

Oh, should add as far as I can tell there is a huge range of stages in his class, going by comments from the parents. From stage 1 to stage 11, I gather.

Ds is a summer-born boy so I try VERY hard not to feel anxious about the fact that some of the older girls are far further up the scale. I know it doesn't matter, there's a range etc. etc. etc. but can't quite help that little voice that says 'of course my son is a GENIUS why hasn't school recognised this'. Even though it is mad and wrong.

edam · 09/03/2009 12:56

thanks, greenlawn. Unknown to me ds read a comment I made in his reading diary when I suggested he might be ready for stage 7 (he'd been stuck on 6 for a whole term and I thought he might be ready to move up a level). Now he thinks I can just tell the teacher he should be on 8!

Coldtits · 09/03/2009 12:56

We don't do ORT so I'm really sorry I can't help you.

But ds1 gets books that have about 30 pages in, and have 3 or four short stories.

And don't forget, Nutty, that you aren't going to get a proper sample here. In my experience, Mumsnet has more than it's fair share of gifted readers. Ds1 is probably behind compared to other kids on Mn but he's not compared to the other boys in his class. Please don't panic, my brother couldn't read until he was 8 but he reads fine now.

sagacious · 09/03/2009 13:06

I do literacy work at a bog standard primary. We have to plod through each book in each range before the child can move up a level.

Huuuuuge range

Current year 1 class, 3 children are on special 1:1 reading programs as they really haven't progressed past ORT1, Then roughly a third of the children on ORT 2/3, another third on ORT 4 and a smattering of 5/6 and one child on ORT 8.

As a big generalisation girls are slightly ahead with reading than the boys.

HTH

coppertop · 09/03/2009 13:13

Ds2 has books from Stage 2 or Stage 3, which seems fairly typical for his class. Ds1 was probably at a similar level at the same age.

I agree with Pooka about it being difficult to compare with other schools as they all have different systems. Some will change books more regularly than others and some may insist on every book being read before a child can move on. From reading MN posts I think many schools give out more books in one week than ds1 used to get in an entire month.

Niecie · 09/03/2009 13:28

Don't worry about being behind too much. Ime if they struggle it can change over night because it will suddenly just click. Whatever it was that was not registering will register and once it does they will take off. It is just a question of when the click is.

DS1 started yr 1 with 27 key words (target for Yr R is 45 words), level 1+ and practically bottom of the class (although one of the youngest). Somewhere in the autumn/spring term, it clicked and he was in the top half of the class by the end of Yr 1 and virtually top of the class by the end of Yr 2. He was going up a level every 5 or 6 weeks when he got going. I am not saying this to show off but to illustrate that learning to read is not necessarily a smooth upwards path. It can go in fits and starts and there is still plenty of time for your DS to catch up and be as good as the better readers in his class.

Just keep practising the key words and reading when you can and it will come.

DS2 is doing better in Yr R (on stage 4 at the mo which is fairly average for their school) but I don't think he is going to dramatically going to take off - he will get there on a more even trajectory but being able to sound out has helped him get ahead of where DS1 was at this age because that was something that DS1 has never been very good at and something which the early stages of ORT relies quite heavily on I think.

I agree though - talk to the teacher and see what she thinks the problem is.

Hulababy · 09/03/2009 13:35

As coldtits says, Vrackernut - I doubt you will get a good range fom MN as to what is average overall. MNetters average always seems to be a fair bit ahead of general school averages. Certainly I have found that MN averages are above the schools I have worked in. I guess MN doesn't have a whole demographic average in itself.

Have you had a look on the ORT website - it links the books with the age it is aimed at. Similar if the school uses colour bands, these can be linked to age/year group avaerages.

seeker · 09/03/2009 13:39

Have a look here

wassup3000 - I think it was the first half of your post that felt a bit....inappropriate...in the circumstances.

The second half was spot on.

Hulababy · 09/03/2009 13:49

These might help:

ORT and how they fit into colour bands

Rigby and colour bands

Book band levels

wasuup3000 · 09/03/2009 14:03

Seeker

The Original poster asked a question which I answered on 2 levels as what she was really wanting to know was should be worried about her child. The basic answer is that if the OP's instincts are right then time will tell.

On the first issue those are/were the reading levels for the 3 out of 4 of my children who are at school which I answered honestly, what was I supposed to do lie or was I banned from answering?

If someone posts on a public forum they will get a variety of differring responses and that is all that this is-nothing more. Just because a response is not liked it is no reason to single a poster out and have a go at them in my opinion.

verygreenlawn · 09/03/2009 14:20

Has anyone come across Red Rocket Readers? Ds1 is on them and really likes them, but there seems to be very limited information available about them. If anyone has any experience I'd be interested to know.

seeker · 09/03/2009 14:30

I'm not having a go. I am suggesting - very gently, I thought - that if someone posts about being concerned that their child is a little behind at reading, they may not find it helpful to be told that someone else has 3 gifted and talented readers! Just a thought........

MaryQueenofArkansas · 09/03/2009 14:41

CrackerNut, as others have said - anywhere between 2-3 and 8 seems to apply to Yr 1.
We have Red Rockets verygreenlawn but as add-ons to ORT (our school uses a variety of reading books). I like them, personally, but am not sure how they band compared to ORT I'm afraid.
(We also have the loathesome Sunshine Spirals, and the much funnier Happy Families and Red Nose Readers)

Mumsnut · 09/03/2009 14:47

Finished them in reception. Never showed another spark of genius though ...

Mumsnut · 09/03/2009 14:48

ie, all his friends caught up, and there is nothing to choose between them really now they are all in year 3. I think reading clicks earlier with some than with others, but isn't necessarily a meaningful guide to future performance ...

OrmIrian · 09/03/2009 14:52

Ooh I don't know.

We've just started the magic key stories. I know he's behind many of the others.

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