11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi all, what level would be given to a free reader?
Thanks in advance.

My understanding of "free reader" is the child has completed all the stages of the reading scheme used at the school. As they are not part of the reading scheme they do not have a level assigned to them. IIRC I think at DS2's school the reading scheme books go up to level 14 (?). Most children will complete the reading scheme and move onto free readers during Y3. Free readers are standard children's books by authors such as Dick King Smith like the ones you find at the library on the "early independent reader" shelf.
HTH

andyb wrote:. Most children will complete the reading scheme and move onto free readers during Y3.

You either teach or have your children at a very high achieving school if the majority of children are on school-issued free readers in Year 3. In my experience it is a rare child who is at that stage so young (remember the reading age of the top levels is around 13) and I would say the average child in schools I have experience of moves somewhere in Y5 or even Y6. There are some who go earlier and some who never get there. Of course, whether they actually read the school issue books, scheme or no, is another matter, and there is nothing to stop them reading 'freely' out of school, whatever 'level' they are on.

Would like to thank andyb,Amber for the swift replies .
Not all children in my ds1 y3 class are free readers...

Surely it depends on what scheme a school uses, if at all. My daughter started at her school in year 3 and was never given a reading scheme book at all - she started choosing her own reading book from the class library straight away, as were most of the children in the class. A few children were given a reading scheme book - but these were children receiving some sort of extra help.

She rarely chooses a school book at all now - she reads whatever she can find on her own or her brother's bookshelf or at the local library. As long as she is reading the school are happy! She has to fill in a reading journal each week, which can include whatever she feels like doing (reviews, design a cover, write a diary entry by one of the characters - this week she wrote a quiz). I suspect they may keep a closer eye on those who are reading less though.

Sorry Amber I'm not sure that I understood your post. Are you saying that in schools that have reading schemes that go up to about a reading age of 13 that most children would not move off the reading scheme until year 5 or 6 ( or later even) - well that would make sense, but I don't think the OP is likely to be talking about a school that has a reading scheme that goes up to such high levels. I don't think many schools do, do they?

Andyb was talking about a school where children who have just finished the school reading scheme books can read a Dick King Smith. Well that was what the top group read in year 2 at my children's school (and believe me they are not rare children in the UK - but maybe it was an easy Dick King Smith - I've never seen the book they read).

I think the answer is that schools talk about free readers in lots of different ways. I don't know what the term means.