Confused about reading levels

[orangeplum]

My DS was reading purple level books by the end of his reception year. He loves reading and over the summer read many of his own books and others from the library. When he went back to school last week the teacher put him on yellow - Level 5 books. He told her when she read with him that it was too easy for him but she said it was a good book and he would enjoy the story.
Why would a Year 1 teacher start him on what i think is a lower level. I have written in his homework book that it is too easy but surely when a child moves up to the class above the teacher should know where they left off at the end of last term. Is it normal to lower their level after the summer holidays or is she trying to keep them all at similar levels - it doesnt make sense to me and whilst i dont want to have to be difficult with her i don't want DS to lose interest in reading.
Thanks

they always put them on slightly lower level books initially, then get adjusted within the next few weeks. dont worry about it, and dont stress.

... and don't write in his homework book that it's too easy.... it tends to wind the teacher up! (Big time!)

i used to be a reading mum at dd old school just ask the teacher if he can move up ,

thanks for the reassurance - oops i have already written in his book that he found it a bit easy - I am a working mum and not a school v often. Hopefully she won't get too wound up - not a good start for me!

Sorry, I sounded a bit damning earlier (true though!!) . It is better to write a note like 'x left YR on purple, is there any reason why he's slipped back to green?' Something like that invites a reply - and she may have a very good reason for doing it. Teachers always talk to each other about children who are joining their class, so she may be acting on advice from the Reception teacher.

The same thing happened to us last year, maybe it is fairly routine to re-start them at a slightly lower level in case they haven't kept up with their reading practice over the summer and they don't want their confidence to be knocked at the beginning of a whole new accademic year.

In his reading record I wrote "ds read this with ease" , "ds read through the whole book very quickly", followed by "ds enjoyed reading this book again" and eventually "I couldn't persuade ds to re-read this book as he didn't really enjoy it last term but I did check that he had remembered all of the harder words on the book".

Ds was then put back up to the same level as he had finished the summer term on. It took about 10 days of these comments or maybe he'd have been put back up a level anyway. I'm sure the teachers know what they're doing as far as something as important and basic as reading is concerned.

Are you sure yellow is Level 5? I thought it was Level 3. It's quite a big drop down from purple either way, I'm sure it will sort itself out though.

Do they automatically move them down? Is that standard?

My DD also finished YR on Purple and has been reading lots over the holiday. It would really knock her confidence to be moved down, even a single level.

Also, the only time I have mentioned DD found books easy in her reading journal we had a week of comments about her struggling and finding books challenging, as if to support the teachers view of her ability. After a week oif this another teacher moved her up a level

The yellow stage 5 ORT books are in the green national book band. You are right, this is 3 bands before purple (green band is equivalent to ORT stage5, orange band is equivalent to ORT stage 6, turquoise to ORT stage 7, and purple to ORT stage 8 and 9 (approximately).