A classroom involved in literature circles will have students in small groups sitting together either with desks pushed together or in a group on the floor. They will be talking quietly and sharing ideas. They will bring some type of writing with them (whether a sheet they have filled out for their role in the group, notes, pictures, or sticky notes marking the book). They will be equal partners in the group, in that there isn't one leader and each member has a valuable opinion to share.
There is a wonderful description of what it looks like during literature circles in the book Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles by Harvey Daniels and Nancy Steineke:
"In smoothly functioning groups, students take turns, share airtime, introduce meaty topics, follow up on each other's ideas, and consistently anchor their comments in specific passages of the text. The conversation is free-flowing, spontaneous, back-and-forth, and natural. The young readers assert, question, hypothesize, argue, pause, ponder, and laugh. The activity looks, and is, enjoyable. In classrooms where teachers have implemented book clubs, students often call it their favorite part of the day." (Daniels and Steineke, 2004)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Implementing Literature Circles with Proficient Readers
Since there are many ways that literature circles can be used, they may have different components which depend upon the teacher, grade, class of students, etc. I am including one example of how a literature circle can be implemented, which I found on a website I am noting at the bottom. I have included my ideas in parenthesis, in order to show that this was not among the information found on the website.
1) Choose 3 or 4 books on different levels and obtain multiple copies of each title. You'll need 6-8 copies of each, depending on the class size. (I might choose to have more book choices and smaller groups of 4-5 students, in order to allow for more discussion participation from each member) - (also, depending on how the literature circle comes to an end, you might want to have enough choices of books so that each book is only used by one group - this way if the group shares the book with the class through a project at the end, each book is only presented one time)
2) Present the books to the students and ask them to prioritize the books (you might have them rank the books from 1st choice to 3rd choice - in case there are many students interested in the same book, they will still get a book on their list)
3) Use this information to creat book club groups.
4) Decide on a written response method - anything from bookmarks or sticky notes to response journals.
5) For 3 or 4 days, students read alone, with a partner, or in small groups. As students read, they mark discussion points in their books with sticky notes or write in response journals. (I would only have students reading with a partner if they needed assistance of some kind. I think this might take away from what each individual could bring to the group discussion, since it would allow for a sharing of ideas while reading/marking discussion points.)
6) On book club meeting day, students meet with their reading groups. At that time, they discuss their book and share their written responses with each other.
7) When a group finishes a book, collect journals and written responses. Use that information plus your own observations to assign a grade for that round.
(Although, due to time restraints, it might not be possible for every round of literature circle - there are lots of ways to have students present their book after completing the reading and discussion portions of the assignment. Allowing students to create a piece of art, a play, a poem, a report, incorporate the use of technology through a glogster poster, etc. can be a great way to ensure that students are meeting their needs according to their personal learning style. It can also deepen the understanding of the text to create a project and share it with peers.)
(http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/litcirclemodels.php)
1) Choose 3 or 4 books on different levels and obtain multiple copies of each title. You'll need 6-8 copies of each, depending on the class size. (I might choose to have more book choices and smaller groups of 4-5 students, in order to allow for more discussion participation from each member) - (also, depending on how the literature circle comes to an end, you might want to have enough choices of books so that each book is only used by one group - this way if the group shares the book with the class through a project at the end, each book is only presented one time)
2) Present the books to the students and ask them to prioritize the books (you might have them rank the books from 1st choice to 3rd choice - in case there are many students interested in the same book, they will still get a book on their list)
3) Use this information to creat book club groups.
4) Decide on a written response method - anything from bookmarks or sticky notes to response journals.
5) For 3 or 4 days, students read alone, with a partner, or in small groups. As students read, they mark discussion points in their books with sticky notes or write in response journals. (I would only have students reading with a partner if they needed assistance of some kind. I think this might take away from what each individual could bring to the group discussion, since it would allow for a sharing of ideas while reading/marking discussion points.)
6) On book club meeting day, students meet with their reading groups. At that time, they discuss their book and share their written responses with each other.
7) When a group finishes a book, collect journals and written responses. Use that information plus your own observations to assign a grade for that round.
(Although, due to time restraints, it might not be possible for every round of literature circle - there are lots of ways to have students present their book after completing the reading and discussion portions of the assignment. Allowing students to create a piece of art, a play, a poem, a report, incorporate the use of technology through a glogster poster, etc. can be a great way to ensure that students are meeting their needs according to their personal learning style. It can also deepen the understanding of the text to create a project and share it with peers.)
(http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/litcirclemodels.php)
Literature Circles for Primary Grades
In order to share how a literature circle would be implemented in primary grades, I am using an example found in Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller. She successfully implemented literature circles into her first grade classroom as part of her reading curriculum.
She starts the process by allowing her 1st grade students to witness a book club. For this model book club, Ms. Miller and 4 parents discuss a book (she used Where the Wild Things Are) while the students watch them and pay attention to what the adults do and say. After the model book club, Ms. Miller discusses the observations with the students.
Literature circles will be handled differently in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom than they will be when used with very proficient readers. With primary grades, students would choose from text that has already been read aloud and discussed previously in class. "That way they all can discuss books that are sophisticated enough to warrant thoughtful conversation; knowing how to read the book is not a requirement." (Miller, 2002).
Ms. Miller meets with each group the day before their book club meeting and reads the text aloud with the group as students follow along in their own copy. Students have sticky notes or notebooks to mark the text/take notes for the next day's meeting.
In Ms. Miller's class, she had one book club meet each week during independent reading time. With this arrangement, children participate in a book club every five weeks or so. She found the meetings to last between 15-30 minutes
"Are children able to talk together about books and ideas independently and in meaningful ways? Do they talk about their connections, images, questions, and inferences? Yes! And I've come to think I know why. Their knowledge of the language and strategies that readers use propels them into lively conversations as they discuss issues and ideas, gain new insights, and challenge old perspectives." (Miller, 2002)
Obviously, students in primary grades are going to require a different type of involvement from the teacher than older grades will need. I envision mini-lessons such as those from our reading in Mosaic of Thought, in which students are introduced to cognitive strategies and given the opportunity to practice using them. The students may not be prepared to use or discuss the use of many cognitive strategies - especially early in the year, depending on the grade level and ability of the students. This would be part of a process - preparing students to be able to fully participate in thoughtful discussions with time. However, starting this process in primary grades would be very beneficial towards successful use of Literature Circles in middle and upper elementary and beyond.
She starts the process by allowing her 1st grade students to witness a book club. For this model book club, Ms. Miller and 4 parents discuss a book (she used Where the Wild Things Are) while the students watch them and pay attention to what the adults do and say. After the model book club, Ms. Miller discusses the observations with the students.
Literature circles will be handled differently in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom than they will be when used with very proficient readers. With primary grades, students would choose from text that has already been read aloud and discussed previously in class. "That way they all can discuss books that are sophisticated enough to warrant thoughtful conversation; knowing how to read the book is not a requirement." (Miller, 2002).
Ms. Miller meets with each group the day before their book club meeting and reads the text aloud with the group as students follow along in their own copy. Students have sticky notes or notebooks to mark the text/take notes for the next day's meeting.
In Ms. Miller's class, she had one book club meet each week during independent reading time. With this arrangement, children participate in a book club every five weeks or so. She found the meetings to last between 15-30 minutes
"Are children able to talk together about books and ideas independently and in meaningful ways? Do they talk about their connections, images, questions, and inferences? Yes! And I've come to think I know why. Their knowledge of the language and strategies that readers use propels them into lively conversations as they discuss issues and ideas, gain new insights, and challenge old perspectives." (Miller, 2002)
Obviously, students in primary grades are going to require a different type of involvement from the teacher than older grades will need. I envision mini-lessons such as those from our reading in Mosaic of Thought, in which students are introduced to cognitive strategies and given the opportunity to practice using them. The students may not be prepared to use or discuss the use of many cognitive strategies - especially early in the year, depending on the grade level and ability of the students. This would be part of a process - preparing students to be able to fully participate in thoughtful discussions with time. However, starting this process in primary grades would be very beneficial towards successful use of Literature Circles in middle and upper elementary and beyond.
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