what is reading age and how is it measured?

[denouement]

I'm confused and might raise the issue with school but I'd like some info on this first. My child's y7 school report shows him as Level 5a in Reading, doing well, above expected for Y7, Target high L7. Then it adds that Reading Age is 9.10. I really don't understand what they mean, as surely a child with the reading age of a 9 year old wouldn't achieve a L5a in Reading??

Reading age of 9.10 does mean 9 years 10 months.

There are loads and loads of different reading age tests. Some test single word, some sentences, some computer based, some need to be done with a teacher......

It would be hard but not impossible to get a 5a in reading with a reading age of 9.10. Depends how well he guesses. Because the reading test is a reading comprehension test not a reading age test. So for example if it was a passage about WW2, and he already knew a lot about it, and there were some multi choice Qs he might be able to mask the fact he couldn't read it very well.

Or, in Y7 it might even not be based on a test, just on the teacher's judgement.

Equally it's possible his reading age is higher, and for some reason he did badly on the reading age test.

What did he get in his Y6 SATS?

There aren't any particularly good reading age tests available for free, but here's one: www.syntheticphonics.com/burtreadingtestpage.htm which would give you a clue as to how well he reads single words.

What does he sound like when he reads? Could he read a teenage chapter book? The hunger games or something like that?

I suspect it's the AR scheme in which 9.10 roughly means 10 months into year 9.

I think 9.10 on AR is way higher than that. I was told at parents eve expected level for Y7 on AR was level 4.

Most books seem to be around the 4/5 level. Eg of mice and men is 4.5. Noughts and crosses (malorie Blackman) is 4.6

AR doesn't measure the quality of a book, or its subject matter, or the complexity of the themes. It is a computer programmes that analyses how long the average sentence is in the book and the vocabulary used. So whilst OMAM has quite a complex multi-layered theme, the sentences are short and words used are fairly straightforward.

A level 9 might well be year 10 though - it's an American system so the levels probably correspond to their years rather than ours.

Thanks for your responses. Yes, he's read Hunger Games and other M Blackman, right now reading Half Wild (part two of Half Bad), and reads other pre teen fiction... I'll ask the school. There is dyslexia in the family, but his writing is very good. 5a in SATS, but apparently levels are different in ks3 5A is good and he's made progress....

i am very interested to hear how accelerated reader works. they do it at my son's school and he has had his reading age tested but not been told the results. They get told which number to look for on the side of the book-he has to read things on 6.4 and above

what does that mean?

In AR-world 6.4 means Y7 month 4. This site has a guide somewhere:

www.arbookfind.co.uk

Ah so 9 is year 10!

You definitely need to check as at my school a reading age of 9.10 would be equivalent to a child 9 years 10 months, I've never heard of it being anything else.

A reading age would mean 9 years 10 months, the AR levels should not be called reading ages.

You need to find out whether this is single word reading, or reading comprehension.

You also need to know what test this was done on.

If you are not overly concerned about your sons reading then this score isn't anything to worry about. The tests I use in school have 40 words and th difference between a. Reading age of 9:10 and 12 years which I assume is your sons age can only be 5/6 words.

Thanks! He has achieved high marks in other subjects that would suggest his reading is good: RE 6b, History 6c, PShe, 6b... so it just doesn't make sense. I will investigate!

You could always ask if he could be retested. The school will be keen to get an accurate reading age for him, too, as this data can be really helpful.