This semester long class is designed to build reading confidence, and strengthen reading comprehension and reading retention. Each week learners will come together to read aloud from the misadventure-filled pages of the Chicken Squad chapter book series by Doreen Cronin. There will be reading five books from the series. We will spend two weeks on each book, using the time in between to expand our connection to the story. 

As learners move upward in reading levels, they shift away from learning to read and begin reading to learn. In this class we will focus on building reading comprehension and reading retention by pausing to make predictions, research claims made by story characters, and do short, personal, writing assignments. Grading is optional and based on a learner's growth throughout the semester.

The Chicken Squad series follows four fluffy yellow chicks as they navigate the great big world of their owner’s backyard. The stories are light-hearted and silly on the surface, but the underlying themes of misunderstanding, misdirections, and incorrect assumptions, as well as friendship, family, and community add a rich depth that learners will explore weekly. 

You do not need to own the book in order to participate in the class.

Blurb of book one:
"They might be chicks, but they sure aren’t chicken, and they’re on a mission. And on this, their first (mis)adventure, the Chicken Squad launches a galactic backyard expedition.

 Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie. These chicks are not your typical barnyard puffs of fluff, and they are not about to spend their days pecking chicken feed and chasing bugs. No sir, they’re too busy solving mysteries and fighting crime.

 So when Squirrel comes barreling into the chicken coop, the chicks know they’re about to get a case. But with his poor knowledge of shapes (“Big” is not a shape, Squirrel!) and utter fear of whatever it is that’s out there, the panicky Squirrel is NO HELP. Good thing these chicks are professionals. 

But even professionals get worried. Especially once they see that round, shiny, green, BIG thing in the yard. What if it’s a UFO full of aliens who want chickens as pets, or worse, dinner? It’s up to the Chicken Squad to crack a case that just might be out of this world." ~Simon and Schuster

Here's a weekly breakdown of the class:

--Week one: read the first half of The Chicken Squad, explore the characters and talk about deduction vs assumption. Homework will be a short writing assignment.

--Week two: recap the first half and finish reading The Chicken Squad. Continue to talk about deduction and assumption.

--Week three: read the first half of The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken, continue to explore the characters, and talk about the effects of labeling and mislabeling others. Homework will be a short writing assignment

--Week four: recap the first half and finish reading The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken. Talk about how we use labels in our world. 

--Week five: read the first half of Into the Wild, continue defining the different characters, and talk about different ways we communicate. Homework will be a short writing assignment

--Week six: recap the first half and finish reading Into the Wild. Continue talking about methods of communication. 

--Week seven: read the first half of Dark Shadows, explore how the characters have changed and how they've stayed the same. Talk about family, how one is created and defined. Homework will be a small art project

--Week eight:  recap the first half and finish reading Dark Shadows. Continue to talk about family, share some of our own family connections.

--Week nine: read the first half of Gimme Shelter, continue to explore the characters, and talk about our ability to be misled by false claims. Homework will be a small research assignment

--Week ten: recap the first half and finish reading Gimme Shelter. Talk about the dangers of false claims and some of the ways we might recognize them. Explore the ideas of teamwork and community