Reading Schemes/Book Bands

[weezypops]

Following on from the discussion in yesterday's daily thread, I was just wondering what reading schemes schemes your schools use.

I just found this: http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges. ... -books.pdf, and it looks pretty much like what they do at Felix's school, except they all start on Black level, which have no words, or just one letter, and pink is divided into pink for level 1 and plum for level 1+. They don't just use one scheme's books but mix them together, and to be honest this does look pretty similar to the ORT for the most part.

Felix has just moved onto blue and looking at it, it seems to say blue is an average level for Year 1, which I'm surprised by.

Is this similar to what your schools use?


Btw, this is just out of interest about what different schools do, it's not a show-offy sort of thread, though obviously I'm proud of Felix for doing well and am happy to talk about it. You're welcome to share how yours are doing too but obviously don't have to!

[Jenn]

Yes this is the system our school uses! or at least from William has already had i think it is anyway. William had an orange band last week (just for fun) and that was called level 6 so this also fits in with this scheme.

I think Collins and Oxford use these levels too as William has also had some ORT books (just for fun) which have been green and they say level 5. So yeah - this does seem to make sense.

Ooh - William has had some Rigby STar books from school! He also got one in his free book pack that he got earlier this year from school too! He likes the rocket on the back of each book.

I have a feeling that our system stops after gold and then they just become a free reader - although I might be wrong! No-one official has told me this.

SOme of our school bands are divided into levels so like red 1 and red 2 etc.

[weezypops]

Chalkwell kids become free readers at white level apparently. Jenn, that's interesting they let him bring home higher level ones for fun, with Felix's class they bring home a reading book from their level or below - they don't even have higher levels than blue in the classroom. His teacher told me that they don't normally go above blue level in reception, so it sounds like Felix will be on blue for the rest of the year. The sharing books are unlevelled though. I do find it interesting how different schools do it!

[Jenn]

On Fridays Louise - they can go to the library and pick any book they want. William is desperate to go up another level so always picks a higher band to read. Tho - I don't think it will make a difference.

Yes - same here - I THINK this is the first year that they have ever had anyone in reception on blue. I think they have always kept them on yellow SO I doubt he will go up either! I think he went up to blue a few weeks after Christmas and is already bored of them!

[XxJack~AcexX]

Ohh Yes Jack the macs school is the same and after they have done the levels they are a free reader.
Jacks currently on Level 9 Gold and doing well so we are pleased.
He does also bring home a Library Book once a week which can be anything. x

Jenn huni Jack has the reading book that he needs to read and a book that we need to write in when he has read it etc and comment. At the front of this has all the levels etc, do you have one that tells you? x

[Jenn]

no - we have the record book that we write in when we read but it doesn't say the order of the books.

[XxJack~AcexX]

Ahh okays huni x

[weezypops]

Wow, sounds like Jack's doing really well.

So after my initial thoughts that blue was very easy, Felix brought home a harder book last night. Well, the words aren't very hard and he didn't have any problems reading it but it was much much longer than any of the books he's brought home so far, so a bit more challenging at least!

[Jenn]

That's good to hear!

[Schmushe]

Alexa bought home a orange book yesterday, it looked a bit easy but when she started, I could tell it was a bit harder for her, there were more sentances so she kept losing her place and couldnt really do the comprehension questions afterwards. Nice to have something a bit more challenging though.

On the note about free reading - ours dont free read apart from library books till the Junior age - they have books which go through till about yr 4-5, and are mainly non fiction and more historical in most of them. Josh is a free reader and has for a while but he chooses to have the reading books sometimes so he can do something a bit different.

We make a note in their books everytime they read, and how they've done, if theres anything they got stuck on, if we've played the maths games or generally ahve a query for the teachers.

[rachel jane]

Teds on Turquoise and Connie is a free reader.
All the kids are doing really well but i will say i have found that apart from a couple of my friends kids all of the children i know from different schools and mine have been really good readers and have been free readers from year 1 and 2. Do your schools give the age of your children and then a reading age? Ours do that and they are always about a year above their actual age.

[XxJack~AcexX]

I think these days the kids are so much more advanced and I agree are doing so well its lovely x

[weezypops]

Wow, it's crazy how different the schools are isn't it? I just don't think they would have someone in Reception on Orange at Chalkwell. I mean, Felix is second in his class for reading, and in the two classes that share a room. I don't know about the other two, but I get the impression he and the other girl on Blue are the only ones at that stage in the whole year. The girl who is also on Blue is exceptional at reading and was reading proper chapter books, Roald Dahl etc. before starting school, so is way way beyond the norm. Most of his class are doing fine at reading and are on Red or Pink with a couple on Yellow. I suppose all schools have their own way of doing things, and obviously Alexa must be doing well, it's just surprising that it can be so different as I really think going onto orange at this stage would be unheard of at Chalkwell! I just wonder what leads them to make such different decisions about when to move them up etc.

[Gina73]

Mia has just gone up to level white this week. she loves reading and always suprises us at how well she is doing with her reading. I am not sure how the school deals with it all. I know last time i saw her teachers they said she was progressing well.

[weezypops]

Wow, that's brilliant - so is she a free reader now?

How often do your kids change their books? Just wondering as there seems to be variation on this too. Felix's can change them every day if they want to and he normally does, unless he especially likes a book (normally he'll do this with sharing books but not reading books), so generally he brings home a new reading book and a new sharing book every day, then a library book once a week.