EXTRA CREDIT, by Andrew Clements: A Book Club Packet

This is a ready-to-use, 22 page packet designed for teachers to use with students in grades 4-7 as they read EXTRA CREDIT by Andrew Clements. Included is a 14 page student booklet that divides the text into four reading assignments with questions and tasks to go with each one. An answer key is included at the end of the packet. In addition, a bookmark master is included to help students keep track of vocabulary words while reading the book. Teacher should encourage sharing of new vocabulary and may have students share verbally with the group or do activities to reinforce or practice the vocabulary.
The questions and tasks in this booklet cover and reinforce the skills that good readers and writers need. These include comprehension, inference, compare and contrast, summary writing, visualization, interpreting expressions, and determining author's purpose. The packet gives students practice in writing to explain their thinking and to demonstrate their understanding through higher level thinking tasks. The booklet is designed for independent work so that students can work on this in class while the teacher is meeting with another group.

In my classroom, students are responsible for completing one reading assignment with the accompanying questions/activities each week. Depending on the reading and writing level of your students, a teacher may decide to allow students more time or less time to complete an assignment. It is suggested that upon completion of an assignment, students meet as a group with the teacher or aide to discuss the book and review the assignment. Created by Jean Martin.

Extra Credit in a nutshell:

Another popular school story by best-selling author, Andrew Clements! Illinois student Abby Carson, is about to flunk out of sixth grade and she's desperate! She'll do anything to correct her bad record: even extra credit. Her extra credit project provides the reader with the unique opportunity to view the Afghan culture through the eyes of Sadeed, Abby's pen pal. This is a multicultural book that students will enjoy, and it is bound to stimulate lively discussions.

Appropriate for students in grades 4-7. Reading level is approximately 5th grade.

Multicultural, novel study, discussion guide, assessment, school story, realistic fiction, Afghanistan, middle east culture, taliban