what's the Pearson Bug Club, then?

[MimsyBorogroves]

DS, Y3, has just transferred to a new school and after being a free reader with excellent comprehension is struggling with the fact that the new school's "rule" is that children in Y3 can only progress as far as the Blue band books. He's currently been placed on lime, and the teacher admits this is purely because if he went higher he would run out of books by the end of the academic year, rather than a judgement on his ability (he reads at around an 11-12 year old level, and comprehension is only slightly lower)????Apparently in a couple of weeks the school will give them all logins to the Pearson bug club, and they can read ebooks at home and do as much or as little as they want and work on comprehension too, and this will benefit him more. I can't find out a lot about it. Can anyone offer some knowledge?

Sorry I can't help, but following out of interest. I believe DD will be starting Pearson online stuff soon too. I hope someone with more knowledge will turn up soon :)

Are you sure about the school rule ? Unless they have their own banding system, blue band is reception/year 1 level. If he had a reading age of 11 or 12 he should really be a "free reader".

I have only used Bug club in infants - basically they're E books. The teacher sets the level and the children access their individualised account online at home. They read the books and then can answer some comprehension questions. The teacher is able to see the books they've read and their comprehension scores. The scheme is ok but only provides are very limited reading diet - competent readers need to be reading widely. I would join the library asap.

My ds used it in year 1. He enjoyed it, but fairly shortly found they were quite easy so he could read 5+ each sitting which meant he got through books often as quickly as they were added.

DD uses it. She's just gone into Y2 and is on Lime. All the books are assigned by the teacher for each child. So when they go up a level they are given more books.

DD does Pearson Bug Club through the 'Active Learn' website. You can go on and have a nose.

I would suggest that once he gets his Login, have a look through the books he's been assigned, get him to read a few (to show willing ) and then at least you can honestly say that he needs something a bit more challenging. In our school they will keep on their last level aswell as their latest one just so they have a bit more choice.

In my experience though you're lucky you've got a DS because all the books are boy related!! The Non-fiction ones are Ok (dinosaurs, bugs in the home etc) but the fiction are mostly about Pirates and Superheroes!! DD is summer born so has only just turned 6! She wants to read about Princesses and Fairies, not Superheroes.

Rant over.

Another thing, as a PP said, I would either join the library or The Book People are your friends!! I buy loads of their books and DD will read those quite happily. Luckily DD's school know that she's actually a very resistant reader (very capable but just doesn't enjoy it - finds it boring) so they're happy that I let her read whatever she wants, as long as she's doing the comprehension Ok when she's at school, which she is.

Thank you, will have a nose!????Unfortunately, I'm sure of the school rule. They seem to go from gold to lime to blue (I'm sure she said blue...) in this year - they started him on gold before I complained that he had finished y1 in his previous school on lime and they're unmovable. He's reading his school book quickly each night and then reading for pleasure each night and morning - fortunately our shelves are heaving!

Ah the blue could be sapphire - it goes lime (emerald), ruby, sapphire - sapphire is 11 - 12 yrs but the schools in my area generally stop banding after white or lime and teach the children how to chose their own reading book at a suitable level. This is one way

*Five finger rule

Choose a book that you think you will enjoy.
Read the second page.
Hold up a finger for each word you are not sure of, or do not know.
If there are five or more words you did not know, you should choose an easier book.
Still think it may not be too difficult? Use the five finger rule on two more pages.*

Your aiming to chose a book to read at 95% accuracy. If the accuracy is less than 90% then comprehension is compromised.

I would let him choose his won books from the library.

My ds uses bug club and loves it. But that is not a solution to your main issue which is that the school is deliberately and blatantly holding your child back when the should be trying to ensure every child makes progress to the best of their ability. If it is their position that the previous school misjudged and your child needs more time consolidating comprehension on simpler texts that would be acceptable but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. Offering bug club as an alternative to fulfilling their responsibilities isn't acceptable.

My DS sounds similiar to yours in that he had a reading and comprehension age of 11 at the start of year 3. Bug club has been good for him, I think the comprehension questions are quite good, but I agree with a previous poster that the types of book are limited. The school choose the level and bug club does have content for advanced readers. We have bug club in addition to home reading books, not instead of, which I think is right.

Our school stops the reading scheme at white and then makes up it's own very broad bands and there are age limits on these. DS started on the first of these in year 1 and so didn't move bands until year 3 which I think is right as the content of some books DS could read was not age appropriate. The difference however is there are a wide variety of interesting books to choose from in the band (they are 'normal' books rather than band type books in the main). DS is a prolific reader and has never complained of a lack of choice. Incidentially I have noticed big deliveries of book people boxes in reception!

Would the world end if he finished them before the end of the year?! I think not......We generally ignore the books that come home in the bag and no one has ever challenged us as ds can clearly read above the expected level for his cohort. We buy books from charity shops and use the library to follow his interests. I would rather he reads for pleasure than plough through banded books which have no meaningful purpose for us. If I were you I would raise again at parents evening as once the chaos of the new term fades they should be able to differentiate more. If not you will need to decide whether it is worth making a fuss over or just get on with your own thing quietly. Good luck

My Ds is a well above average reader. He did bug books..He enjoyed them as they ask bug questions through the book and you get a reward for reading a book..A picture that is added too with a certain amount of bug points.

I aswell tend to ignore the school books so long as he reads no real issue. I would say though some of the levels are not just about reading the words..My Ds has been a free reader since year 2 however it is suprising the words he doesn't understand

Dark blue band on Bug club is the equivalent to the old level 4A

Should add it's the KS2 colours that follow on from lime and white
Brown, grey, dark blue and Crimson