What do you think about the books you read at school?

In primary school, you may have been given books to read, that are sorted by colour and difficulty. These are often called banded books, book bands, or levelled readers.

The idea is that each colour band matches a child’s age and reading level - starting with simpler books, and moving on to longer or more complex reading.

Schools use them to help teachers and parents find books that might suit a child's current reading ability.

For example, you might read lilac, pink and red bands in your first year at primary school, as they usually have simpler words and shorter sentences.

TES magazine, which focuses on education, has published an article about these kinds of books, asking: "Could relying too heavily on 'easy' reading be holding pupils back?"

In it, author Alex Quigley says that matching books to children's reading ability is common in most primary schools in England.

But he says there are concerns from some literacy experts, and argues that banded books may "kill children's motivation to read".

He says that if children are too focused on staying within a certain book band level, it might limit the range of things children read - especially as they get older and need to understand more complex language and ideas.

"We need to build pupils up to complex reading challenges, not lower the bar with simple vocabulary and shortened sentences," he said.

Ashley Powell is the headteacher at Warstones Primary school in Wolverhampton, which uses banded books, and thinks using them is a good idea.

"Having books banded means that children can access the language in the books and that it offers the perfect amount of challenge," he told Newsround.

"Without banding, there is a risk that children will not be able to enjoy reading, as the texts may be too challenging for their current reading level."

He added: "The benefits of banding also include the fact that children learn to read quicker as language is tailored to suit them."

Mr Powell also explained some of the difficulties children sometimes have without this guidance.

"The one challenge we face is when a child wants to enjoy a series of books and the level of these books does not follow the order of the series. For example, the first book in the series may be more challenging than the second book meaning that it is difficult to read a series of books in the correct order."

Mr Smith, a teacher at Stonelow Junior School in Derbyshire, said that without age-appropriate books that match a child's reading ability, it could put pupils off from reading if they "don't understand and enjoy it."

"Using the bands helps to make sure that children get the right level of exposure to words, phrases, topics and themes. Reading isn't just about fluency (how well they read) it's also about how well the child understands what they're reading too," he explained.

He argues there can be challenges when children have a high reading level, but may not fully understand the meaning of the text.

"Some children and families rightly prioritise reading for pleasure, and will read loads, every day at home and school", he said.

"Other families and children don't place as much emphasis on the importance to read outside of school. So that means that within a single year group, the range of reading fluency and understanding can be huge."

Last year, the National Literacy Trust - a charity that helps people with reading and writing - carried out a survey.

It showed that the percentage of children and young people who said they enjoyed reading, was at its lowest level in 20 years.

So we want to know what you think!

Comment below to let us know if you enjoy reading, and let us know what you think about banded books.

Do you read banded books at school or at home? Do you enjoy them, or feel ready for more variety?

Do they help you feel confident, or do you wish you could choose any book you like?