"Frindle” by Andrew Clements is the hilarious tale of a boy who thought he could outsmart his teacher.  Nick Allen THINKS he’s clever as he devises ways to use up class time and avoid doing school work. In the past, he has distracted teachers from their lesson plans by asking questions that require long explanations.  When he questions where words come from and renames common objects, the results are more than he bargained for!  Students will likely be able to relate to classroom scenes as they explore vocabulary, the true meaning of learning, and the gift of education.

In this class, we will focus on learning objectives addressing critical thinking, reading fluency, listening and written comprehension, vocabulary, speaking, and figurative language. This book is a Lexile level of 830.

The class will be taught using a guided reading structure in which the teacher guides the small group instruction before, during and after reading. Students will be assessed informally through oral reading, discussion, short writing prompts, and review games. Each class will begin with vocabulary and a creative or critical thinking question(s) related to the day's reading. Students will be invited to read the selection aloud, taking turns as they volunteer. There will be comprehension questions as well as creative activities in which students can demonstrate deeper understanding of the text. Each class will end with a review activity or game and an at home reading assignment if they choose to move forward on their own. Vocabulary and focus questions will be presented through slides, while the text will be shared through a document camera. 

Students at this age are learning to gain meaning from reading, and they are building reading stamina as they practice reading for longer periods of time. They are curious about the world around them, but chapter books filled with symbolism and figurative language can seem overwhelming compared to picture books or . It is important for children to be able to comprehend the deeper meaning and context found increasingly complex texts--but HOW does that happen? Students must apply literal, inferential, and evaluative skills to answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions based on the text. 

In this club, we will practice answering comprehension questions--both written response and multiple choice. During the 50 minute class: 
• Students will be welcomed to class. We will quickly review the class rules and our learning goals. 
• The teacher will review vocabulary for the chapter and do a brief review of previous chapters. The teacher will guide students to read the text apply their skills. Teacher support will be available to all students during this time. Students should raise their hand if they have a question. 
• During the last 5 minutes of class, students will review through questioning, writing, and games. 
 
Chapters Covered by Week:
Week 1 <Chapters 1-2>
Week 2 <Chapters 3-5>
Week 3 <Chapters 6-8>
Week 4 <Chapters 9-11>
Week 5 <Chapters 12-13>
Week 6 <Chapters 14-15>