Literature Circles



Literature Circles

EECE 441

C. Sibley

Introduction

Readers need to have time to read both extensively for enjoyment and information and intensively to deepen and enrich a reading experience. When readers are given time to respond to a book, they make the ideas encountered in the literature personally meaningful and are able to extend those ideas in a variety of ways. Through talking about books with others, readers are given the time they need to absorb and savor a book so that the book becomes a significant part of their life experiences.

Talking about a piece of literature with others gives readers time to explore half-formed ideas, to expand their understanding of literature through hearing other’s interpretations, and to become readers who think critically and deeply about what they read. Readers need to understand that there are a variety of interpretations for any piece of literature and that they can collaboratively explore their interpretations with each other so as to reach new understandings. Literature circles help readers become literate.

Literature provides readers with an important way of learning about the world. Literature combines both knowing and feeling. Literature educates and entertains. It stretches the imagination, allowing readers to see their world in a new way and to imagine other possible worlds. It is the stories we create from our experiences that allow us to bring meaning to those experiences and to understand how our world works.

Materials/Procedures

1. Several works of literature should be selected for discussion by the teacher, the students, or by both. These are introduced to the class by giving short book talks and then making the books available for the students to browse through. For young children, the teacher may read each choice aloud to the class. The teacher will need to have multiple copies of these books.

2. Students must then make a choice of which book they would like to read. This choice can either be indicated by signing up on a chart for a certain piece of literature or by having students mark their first and second choices on a piece of paper which they give to the teacher who then forms the groups. These groups should have 4-5 members.

3. Students read the piece of literature and meet in Literature Circles to discuss the book. There are several variations depending on whether students read the book before beginning the discussion.

a. Students must read the piece of literature prior to coming to the circle. Students reading longer chapter books can read these the preceding week either as homework or during their reading time. For young children who cannot read the literature independently, teachers can read the literature to the children and then place the literature with a tape in the listening center.

b. Students read the literature as they discuss it. Each day the group meets to briefly discuss the part of the literature they had read the previous day and to decide as a group how far they will read for the next day. Once the book is finished, the group meets for more intensive discussion of the entire book.

4. Literature Circles usually last anywhere from two days to a week depending on the length of the book and the depth of the discussion about the book. Usually only half of the class is involved in Literature Circles at any one time and the others are doing extensive reading, literature response activities, writing, etc.

5. The Literature Circle discussions are open-ended discussions focused on bringing the literature and the reader together. The following are some variations in how these discussions can be conducted.

a. The teacher begins the discussion on the first day by asking a broad question such as “What was this story about?” or by asking students to “Talk about this book while I listen.” From this initial discussion, the teacher gets an idea of which aspects of the book the students find the most interesting. The teacher participates as a member of the group contributing comments about the book as well as asking open-ended questions. The direction of the discussion in the Literature Circle and the types of questions asked depend both on what the readers are most interested in and on which aspects of the book are the most outstanding. For example, if the book is an excellent example of character development or description of setting, these as well as the students’ interests would influence the focus of the discussion. It is also important that the group members be encouraged to make links between the book and their life experiences as well as to other pieces of literature. This should be done in such a way as to deepen and extend their understanding of the literature rather than to take them away from the story.

b. The group can begin by discussing their reactions to the book, sharing favorite parts, and raising questions about parts they did not understand or that surprised them. The group then makes a list of issues or questions they want to discuss about this literature. They use this list to guide their discussion over the next few days.

6. At the end of each day’s discussion the group should decide on what they want to talk about the next time the group meets. This gives the students time to reread certain sections of the book and to think about the topic or questions so they are more prepared to talk the next time. Some teachers give students the option of writing their ideas about the topic in literature logs. The Literature Circle then begins by having students share from their logs.

7. While the teacher will often begin as the leader of Literature Circles, once the students understand how these groups operate the teacher should not always be involved as a member or leader of the groups. The next section on the teacher discusses a variety of ways to involve teachers and students in the circles.

8. At the conclusion of a Literature Circle, the members of that circle can be asked to present the book to the rest of the class as a way to “celebrate” their completion of the book.

Teachers’ Role

In order for Literature Circles to be successful, there needs to be classroom environment already established that supports risk-taking and varied constructions of meaning from reading. If the students feel that they must reproduce what the teacher thinks is THE meaning of a piece of literature, then the literature circles will not be productive. Students who have a long literacy history of basal reading groups may initially treat Literature Circles as basal reader interpretation. They will be used to sitting back and answering teacher questions and may not know how to talk and work collaboratively with other students. The teacher will need to provide other kinds of curricular strategies to establish a learning environment that supports Literature Circles and should not be discouraged if students say little when they first become involved in these discussions.

It is essential that students have time daily to read widely from many different kinds of reading materials. The teacher should be reading aloud to the class and using the whole class discussions after reading aloud to demonstrate the types of questions and problems that the students can focus on in Literature Circles. In addition, students should be involved in responding over time in a variety of ways to literature including art, music, drama, writing, etc.

Literature Circles should be connected to other parts of the curriculum. If students are focusing on a study of families or different cultures, then literature can be chosen which deals with family situations or the clash of cultures. If students are reading a particular genre, such as folk tales, they should be invited to try writing their own folk tales or if students are going to be writing some type of non-fiction report, then Literature Circles can focus on non-fiction.

The depth of discussion in Literature Circles depends on the rich history of stories to which the pieces of literature being discussed are connected. There are various ways that this rich history can be built: use of familiar stories that students have heard over and over, multiple readings of the same story in the classroom, relating the book of other books read previously in the classroom through topic, genre, theme, author, etc., or relating the literature to themes or topics being discussed in the classroom.

During the initial circles, the teacher should demonstrate the types of questions and discussion behaviors that are appropriate in order to establish a supportive context for sharing and constructing interpretations of literature. Varied interpretations are accepted as long as the reader can support that interpretation. Readers are asked to support what they say, explain why, rather than simply making statements about their reading experience with a particular book. The teacher also encourages readers to explore each other’s interpretations and to collaboratively build new understandings of the literature during literature circles. Literature Circles are a time of exploration with each other, not a time to present a formal or final interpretation of a particular piece of literature. Readers need to really listen to each other (that includes the teacher) and to build off of each other’s comments. Both the students and the teacher should reply to each other rather than assess in order not to cut off discussion.

There are a variety of ways in which Literature Circles can be organized so that teachers and students share in the control of these groups. While the groups will probably begin with the teacher taking an active role as the leader of the group, the teacher needs to allow the students to take over and direct the discussion. Because of the teacher’s great experience and knowledge, the teacher’s presence in Literature Circles influences the dynamics of that group. Teachers can change their role from leader to member by waiting for students’ responses rather than dominating the discussion and by occasionally offering their own opinions about what is being discussed rather than asking questions. Teachers can offer differing amounts of support and share control with students by trying different variations of the circles in which they sometimes present and at other times circulate from group to group or not join the group at all. Instead of the teacher serving as the source of open-ended questions or of a broad focus for the discussion, students can come to the circle with their own questions or focus. These options ensure that the groups have a specific purpose or problem that is being discussed but vary who is establishing that purpose or problem: the teacher, the students, or both teacher and students together.

The teacher also needs to get hold of multiple copies of books especially if the books are chapter books. Picture books can be easily shared among the group members but students need their own copies of the longer books. Check the libraries, other teachers, resource teacher collections, and closets. Use the bonus points from paperback book clubs to buy sets. See if the school will let you use some of your textbook or workbook money to buy sets (get several teachers to go together and share sets). See if you can get money to buy sets through the parent/teacher organization or a fundraiser. Remember that picture books are not just for young children but can be used very productively with older readers. It is best to use a variety of literature including fiction and non-fiction, poetry, short stories, picture books, and chapter books.

Variations of Literature Circles

1. A discussion of one piece of literature that everyone has read.

2. Discussing a variety of works that are related in some way.

3. Discussing literature by a particular author or poet.

4. Discuss literature by a local author who can then visit the group.

5. Discuss literature written by class members. These circles recognize the authorship of children within the room and can lead to interesting and insightful discussions. The group first meets and discusses the book without the author present and then invites the author to join the group.

6. Any of the above discussions can occur in groups that go across grade levels.

7. Lucy Calkins describes literature groups where the teacher had the entire class reading the same genre. Each day, the teacher had a “secret” question for the students to discuss. After discussing the questions in small groups, the class then came together as a whole to discuss the question. Sometimes the small groups had read the same book and, at other times, each child had read a different book. However, since the books came from the same genre (mystery story), the students were able to productively discuss the questions with each other.

8. Karen Smith uses the read aloud time to help students listen and build their comments off of each other. After reading aloud, she steps outside the group and asks them to go ahead and discuss the chapter while she takes notes. At the end of the discussion, she shares her notes with the students, particularly noting any comments that students made which built off of what someone else had said.

Eleven Key Ingredients for Literature Circles

1) Students choose what book they want to read.

2) Small temporary groups are formed based on book choice.

3) Different groups read different books.

4) Groups meet on a regular, predictable schedule to discuss their reading.

5) Students use notes to guide their reading and discussion.

6) Discussion topics/questions come from the students.

7) Group meetings are open-ended, natural conversations about books, so personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome.

8) The teacher serves as a facilitator, not a group member or instructor.

9) Evaluation is by teacher observation and student self-evaluation.

10) A spirit of fun and playfulness pervades the room.

11) When books are finished, readers share with their classmates through a celebration. See ideas below. (Daniels 18)

What Student Behavior Occurs in Literature Circles

• Animated talk.

• Seriousness.

• Passion about literature.

• Notes and drawings that reflect readers’ thoughts and ideas.

• Open-ended, “real” questions.

• Reading aloud of favorite passages.

• Stopping to talk about difficult and powerful words.

• Constant revisiting of the book.

• Using specific passages to prove points and settle disagreements.

• Watching the clock to make sure everyone shares. (Daniels 18)

Use of Student Bookmarks for Note Taking

The bookmark is a sheet of 8 ½ x 11 paper folded into quarters so that it resembles a bookmark. This provides a simple, convenient way for students to take notes as they read. (Strickland 68-69)

Ideas for bookmark notes (put page numbers behind each entry):

• I was confused when . . .

• I stopped reading to think about . . .

• I predict . . .

• I would like to ask the author . . .

• When I read . . . , I thought about . . .

• When I read . . . , I could picture . . .

• This part is mostly about . . .

• I looked up the meaning of . . .

• I checked on how to pronounce . . .

• I found this word/phrase interesting . . .

What Social Skills Teachers Can Look

for When Monitoring a Discussion Group (Daniels 240)

Do literature circle members:

• Attend to the topic?

• Stay on the subject?

• Participate actively in the group?

• Take turns?

• Ask questions?

• Make eye contact?

• Lean forward?

• Nod, confirm, respond?

• “Piggyback” on others’ comments?

• Allow all members of the group to participate?

• Avoid dominating?

• Pull other people in?

• Take turns actively listening?

• Avoid interrupting?

• Speak directly to each other?

• Honor member’s “burning issues”?

• Speak up when they disagree and disagree constructively?

• Support opinions with evidence from the book?

• Help others find evidence?

• Explain what they are thinking?

• Show respect for others’ ideas?

What Thinking Skills Teachers Can Look for

When Monitoring a Discussion Group (Daniels 240)

Do literature circle members:

• Make connections with personal experience, current events, other books, artwork?

• Make pictures in their heads to visualize the scene, people, events?

• Put themselves into the story?

• Reread to clarify?

• Check and confirm facts?

• Savor the story, language, events?

• Question the author, characters?

• Analyze, interpret?

• Make inferences?

• Draw conclusions?

• Make judgments?

• Evaluate the book, author, and characters?

• Attend to the author’s craft/style?

• Notice words and language?

• Read passages aloud?

• Look for patterns?

• Draw/illustrate/map sections of text?

Major Roles for Group Members

1) Facilitator (Hill 104)

a) Begins the discussion with a comment or question about the reading. See handouts previously provided in class for examples of questions, such as the The Importance of Questioning.

b) Ensures that all members participate and have an equal chance to voice their thoughts and opinions.

c) Maintains enthusiasm and keeps up a lively pace.

d) Ensures that the group stays on task.

2) Recorder

a) Records the date and names of members present.

b) Writes down the pages the group will read for the next meeting.

c) At the end of the discussion time, with the help of the group, summarizes the major points, ideas, questions discussed.

Ideas for Literature Circle Celebrations (Daniels 91, Hill 144-5)

• Posters advertising the book.

• Advertising campaign for the book.

• Create an ABC book focusing on key events, characters, etc.

• Cube: create a six-sided tag board cube focusing on favorite scenes, significant events, etc.

• Readers’ theatre performance.

• Flannel board story.

• Sequel to the story.

• Read alouds of key passages (with discussion and commentaries).

• Jackdaw: collect artifacts representing events, characters, themes to build a display.

• Time line of the story.

• Map of setting.

• Mural.

• Scrapbook.

• Story or character quilt.

• Story wheel: sequencing of key events with illustrations and writing for each event.

• Debate.

• Reader-on-the-street interview.

• New ending for the book.

• New character for the book.

• Collages representing different characters.

• Piece of artwork interpreting the book.

• Original skit based on the book.

• New cover for the book.

• Diary of a character.

• Impersonation of characters (in costume with props).

• Interview with the author (real or fictionalized).

• Interview with a character.

• Letters to and from characters.

• Part of the story rewritten as a picture book for younger students.

• Plans for a party for the characters in the book.

• Song or dance about the book.

• News broadcast reporting events from the book.

• Family tree of key character.

• Puppet show about the book.

• Board game based on the book.

For more ideas and more detailed explanations and examples, see Extension Examples: More Complex Projects at the web site:

.

Possible Assessment Strategies

• Kid watching

• Narrative observational logs

• Anecdotal notes

• Performance assessment

• Checklists

• Students conferences

• Group interviews

• Video-audio taping

• Portfolios/work samples

For more general information on Literature Circles, see the ERIC Digest: Literature Circles at the web site: and the Literature Circles Resource Center at the web site:

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References

The Literature Circles concept was developed by Kathy G. Short and Gloria Kauffman based on Karen Smith’s work with literature studies. Their initial exploration of this curricular strategy is discussed in Kathy G. Short’s dissertation listed below.

Barnes, Douglas. From Communication to Curriculum. New York: Penguin, 1976.

Calkins, Lucy M. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986.

Daniels, Harvey. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups. 2nd ed. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2002.

Harste, Jerome, and Kathy G. Short. Creating Classrooms for Authors: The Reading-Writing Connection. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.

Hepler, Susan. Patterns of Response to Literature: A One-Year Study of a Fifth and Sixth Grade Classroom. Diss. Ohio State U, 1982.

Hill, Bonnie Campbell, Nancy J. Johnson, and Katherine L. Schlick Noe. Literature Circles and Response. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon, 1995.

Huck, Charlotte. “Literature as the Content of Reading.” Theory into Practice 16 (1977): 363-371.

“Literature Circles.” Language Arts 2000 Cadre Summer Institute. 2000. San Diego County Office of Education. 31 March 2003 .

Short, Kathy G. Literacy as a Collaborative Experience. Diss. Indiana U, 1986.

Strickland, Dorothy S., Kathy Ganske, and Joanne K. Monroe. Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers: Strategies for Classroom Intervention 3-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2002.

Teacher Observation Checklist

Literature Circle Group _________________________________________________________

Name of student _______________________________________________________________

Checklist for social skills

• Prepared for the book discussion

• Attends to the topic

• Stays on the subject

• Participates actively in the group

• Takes turns

• Asks questions

• Makes eye contact

• Leans forward

• Nods, confirms, responds

• “Piggybacks” on others’ comments

• Allows all members of the group to participate

• Avoids dominating

• Pulls other people in

• Takes turns actively listening

• Avoids interrupting

• Speaks directly to each other

• Honors member’s “burning issues”

• Speaks up when he or she disagrees and disagrees constructively

• Supports opinions with evidence from the book

• Helps others find evidence

• Explains what he or she is thinking

• Shows respect for others’ ideas

Checklist for thinking skills

• Makes connections with personal experience, current events, other books, artwork

• Makes pictures in his or her head to visualize the scene, people, events

• Puts themselves into the story

• Rereads to clarify

• Checks and confirms facts

• Savors the story, language, events

• Questions the author, characters

• Analyzes, interprets

• Makes inferences and looks for patterns

• Draws conclusions

• Makes judgments

• Evaluates the book, author, characters

• Attends to the author’s craft/style

• Notices words and language

• Discusses literary elements

• Reads passages aloud

• Draws/illustrates/maps sections of text

Literature Circle Recorder

Title of book: ________________________________________________________

Members present: ___________________________________________________

Name of facilitator: ___________________________________________________

Name of recorder: ____________________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________________________

Pages read for today’s meeting __________________

Pages to read for next meeting ___________________

Question or comment used by facilitator to start the discussion:

Summary of today’s discussion (major points, ideas, questions):

Questions or topics (if any) to carry over to the next meeting:

Book Celebration Presentation Evaluation

Presenters ___________________________________________________________

(1=poor, 2=needs improvement, 3=average/somewhat, 4=good, 5=excellent)

1. Spoke loudly and clearly 1 2 3 4 5

2. Had good eye contact 1 2 3 4 5

3. Looked practiced and organized 1 2 3 4 5

4. Showed creativity 1 2 3 4 5

5. Exhibited enthusiasm for the book 1 2 3 4 5

6. Motivated you to read the book (circle one):

I wanted to read it immediately (after my finals).

I may read the book in the future.

I probably will not read the book.

The best thing about this group’s presentation was:

Additional comments:

EECE 441: Specific Guidelines for Multicultural Literature Circles

1) During each class period, you will spend about 30 minutes in your group discussing your novel. For each of these sessions, you will choose a facilitator and recorder. The facilitator will be responsible for initiating and directing the group. The recorder will complete the form that summarizes the group’s meeting and hand it in at the end of class. Each session will have a different facilitator and recorder.

2) To prepare for the discussion, each group member will do the reading and write notes on his or her bookmark. The bookmarks will be handed in after each session.

3) After you complete the book, you will plan a “celebration” that will bring closure to your group’s work on this book. This will be presented to the class on Wednesday, April 23 [note change in date from syllabus].

4) Assessment (50 points total). Based on:

• Bookmarks.

• Group’s work based on recorder’s notes.

• Literature Circle Celebration.

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