reading age test - how to use the information usefully

[JJT]

Hi, can anyone help. My son is 10 years and 3 months and his reading age is 12 years and 7 months- does anyone know if this just above average or well above average? Teachers are usually more keen to please so not sure what to think. He is in year 6 the youngest in the class as he is a summer born.

We are going for Queen Elizabeth's School for boy's in Barnet tests- any information or advice around that would be great too.

Thanks

JJT

[mitasol]

I was told that the ability age for English skills should be 2 years ahead of chronological age to be considered 'good'.

[JJT]

Thanks for that information- so he's on track.

[moved]

I've always worked on two years ahead too.

[doodles]

Mystery - what year is your dc in. With both my ds I have found that once they came off the prescribed schemes (sometime during Yr 3) and were allowed to choose a book from the school library, obviously with some supervision, they progressed more quickly and enjoyed reading more and more as they were allowed to develop their own tastes in reading material.

Some of the reading schemes are very sterile and frankly boring but I can see their worth - they are a step along the path. I would keep on encouraging reading at home. Even though we are very lucky at ds school with reading, library access and encouragement they still read what could be described as "harder" books at home. Also think ds2 progressed quicker because of what was around at home - he often picks up one of ds1's book which obviously just weren't available to ds1.

[flicka]

Hi, I'm inclined to disagree a little with the view that reading age tests don't show you are a good reader. I did one when I started junior school (too many years ago for me to remember when!), on the very first day in what would now be Year 3. I was a late birthday, so only just over seven, and we stood in line waiting to read with the teacher. I can remember it now. When it was my turn I read on and on, scared to fail, until at last I could go no further. I had a reading age of 14 at just seven, and believe me, it was a true reading age, as I used to read a set of books called Dragon Books. I think it was Blue Dragons for seven and under, Red Dragon for 8 to 11 years and Green Dragon Books for 12 to 15 year olds and this was what I read.
By age 8 I had read The Hobbit, Alan Garner, Kipling, My Friend Flicka et al, any horse book I could get my hands on, every book in the children's section of our local library, and was on to older books well before I was allowed to read them in school. I don't ever remember getting a book I actually liked reading at school. They were all far too easy.
So in this case, the reading age test was accurate.
I didn't know it at the time of course, I just thought it was quite natural to read books like that - no distractions like Wii, PS3, or computers you see! And very little television suitable for children my age!
So I read and read and read.
I don't think today's children get exposed to enough reading possibilities. Too much time on electronic gimmicks. My son, aged 10, loves to read, but he loves his computer games more!

[tiredmum]

By age 8 I had read The Hobbit, Alan Garner, Kipling, My Friend Flicka et al, any horse book I could get my hands on, every book in the children's section of our local library, and was on to older books well before I was allowed to read them in school. I don't ever remember getting a book I actually liked reading at school. They were all far too easy.
So in this case, the reading age test was accurate.
I didn't know it at the time of course, I just thought it was quite natural to read books like that - no distractions like Wii, PS3, or computers you see! And very little television suitable for children my age!
So I read and read and read.
I don't think today's children get exposed to enough reading possibilities. Too much time on electronic gimmicks. My son, aged 10, loves to read, but he loves his computer games more!

I soo agree with you. I couldnt get enough of books, but today there are so many distractions. my dd's are 12 and 15 - when they were younger i used to have a reading time at home a couple of times a week - we would all just turn everything off and sit down and read our books for half an hour or so. Things seem to have got so busy now i cant see that happening in my house again. Up until dd2 was 11 we read together practically every night - her one page, then me. We covered some great books that way - many michael morphgu (spelling!) , toms midnight garden, little women - and when dd1 was younger we read Anne Frank and the Narnia series this way. I just wanted to help them have an interest in reading so giving up my time was what needed to be done.

Now they both enjoy books but generally seem to be busy with other stuff!

[MrsK40]

Do you not think Reading ability is innate? My eldest has always had a Reading age of about 2 to 3 years above his age & read Harry Potter's first book at 7, but his younger brother has a Reading age 8 years above his real age, and I have certainly not spent every night Reading with either of them and they both play on the computer & electronic games a lot! What I have done is always given them books if they want them and seen the electronic games as another source of information. My youngest used the word 'corporeal' in writing when he was 7, & he got that word from a computer game. I think they are good at Reading because they have an inherited ability, just as musicians and artists pass on their skills, so do good readers, I believe.

[mystery]

I am sure you are right. The trouble is, my OH has diluted the good reading genes.

[doodles]

Not sure about the genes "argument" never really thought about that but I do think parental attitude has a lot to do with how a child views reading. Both my DS's see reading as an enjoyable past time because both DH and I do. Although DH doesn't read many novels he always has his nose in the paper or some sort of journal, I just love reading all sorts so am pretty open when it comes to them choosing books (as long as the content is appropriate that is!).

Funnily enough I do remember chatting to a teacher who held the view that there are "natural" spellers amongst us so perhaps the same stands for reading.