As a person with ADHD and a parent to kids with ADHD and other learning differences I was excited to discover the book "Eliza Bing is (Not) a Big Fat Quitter".  It is funny and engaging.  The main character develops confidence in her abilities and pride in who she is.  The reading level is Lexile 600, about a third grade level, so it will be accessible to learners with dyslexia and dysgraphia. 

The main character is a fifth grader and the story takes place the summer before Eliza heads to middle school so this book is well suited for 4th-7th grade readers who are not yet reading at grade level.  Kids who do not have ADHD will also enjoy this class, but it may be especially valuable for kids with ADHD or are otherwise neurodivergent.

This six session course will not have live meetings.  Learners will read about 25- 30 pages per session. In our online classroom we will discuss themes that come up in the book like friendship, bullying, coping with learning challenges, relationships with parents and siblings, the transition to middle school etc. 

Learners will use the book as a jumping off point to learn problem solving, comprehension, and note taking strategies supported by graphic organizers.  This approach plus the reading level of the book also make this class appropriate for learners with dysgraphia and dyslexia.  Class discussions are designed to further student's social emotional development as we cover the themes of resilience, friendship, decision making, and problem solving. Learners have the option of sharing their responses via video if they prefer.

Each week will include:

1) An opening question video where students get to practice their writing by sharing about themselves.

2) Assigned reading for the week. (The first week I will also provide a video of me reading a bit of the book to give learners a head start.)

3) Reflection questions about what the student has read.

4)  An optional Kahoot! to review the reading.

5) An analysis question to help the student think critically about what they have read.

6) A creative activity that may involve using a pre-writing or note-taking strategy.