Help me find something diplomatic and non pushy mum to say re ds' reading books

[gleegeekgleek]

Ds is in reception and has been doing well with reading. Had finished ort level 6 on the school scheme and found them really quite easy e.g. maybe 1 word a book he'd need help with and the rest he read fluently. He was understanding them fine too and reading with expression.

So the first week back of term his teacher was off sick and he got given books from a box two or three bands lower than normal. Not a big deal as these things happen. She came back and this week no one changed his book all week until today when he came home with an ORT 5 book. If he should be moving onto 7 why has he now come home with a level 5 one? A week of messing around is fine, but it's two weeks into term now...

I asked him who gave him the book in case the assistant did it again but he said he chose it from the box.

How do I deal with this without sounding annoying and pushy? What can I say?

Or should I just leave it? He reads plenty of normal story books at home by choice.

I agree totally with you muddleduck. my ds has been on the same ort level for a while now. I don't have to help him with words, we get really good feedback from ta about his expression and he tells me things about the pictures and story that i haven't even noticed. I know he is one of the top readers on his year and he has picked it up quite easily. Do you think they do not always want them to move too quickly up the levels and make them too ahead of their peers? I would love to question the teacher but don't want to come across as pushy.

I know that in ds's class they sometimes move them up a level in whole groups rather than as individuals. The last time he moved up a level he said that his whole 'literacy group' moved up. Seems like they wait until the whole groups is ready.

OP I think that holding your DS in the same level for a while is not a bad thing.

However I have to say I agree with the group work thing. I'm not sure about bands as we are different in Scotland. I assume red is very low. I don't see how it can be a good thing for your DS or the other child to be in the same reading group. Your DS will be bored and the poor child who can't blend yet could feel very behind that one of her peers is so much more able to read than her.

I suspect that is what happens with my ds. The other day he was telling me that everyone in his reading group is on his ort level (he is in a mixed reception/year 1 class). A boy who started school on a high ort level because he learnt to read at nursery has only moved up 1 level since sept.

that sounds odd sponge.

Well, ds came home with quite a hard book compared to the others this week so it seems they at least are pointing him in the right direction. It had a few more words he needed help with and was more like that 95% figure I keep reading on here. As in they should be able to read 95% without help.

I've decided I'm not going to do much about the group guided reading issue and wait until next academic year as ds is progressing (I doubt this is from what he does at school with reading though!) and it's only reception.

So we'll wait until year 1 and see if they introduce anything for his level more.