Textbook Circles in Developmental Reading Classrooms and Learning Communities KATHRYN KLOPFLEISCH, INVER HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE CELESTE MAZUR, SAINT PAUL COLLEGE LISA HANES GOODLANDER, SAINT PAUL COLLEGE

Textbook Circle Success in a Learning Community Reading & Interpersonal Communication

Textbook Circle Success in Stand- Alone Read Class Total Students in Stand Alone Reading Class 25100% Improved a grade letter or more on exams in at least one other class 1144% No report available, not in another class, evaluated without exams. 936% Failed 312% Dropped or stopped attending class 28%

History of Textbook Circles K-12 Beginnings  Originally developed in K-12 as literature circles (Daniels, 1994)  Adapted later for expository text and textbook reading (Stien & Beed, 2004; Wilfong, 2009) Community College Application  Developmental reading and writing (Levy, 2011)

Textbook Circle Process 1. Instructor introduces and models strategy roles 2. Students form small groups and each choose a role 3. Students read independently, applying the strategy 4. Students re-group to discuss content of text and reflect on roles’ effectiveness

Textbook Circle Strategy Roles  Planner  Foundation Builder  Notetaker  Illustrator  Key Terms Investigator  Connector  Summarizer  Test Predictor

Illustrator – Whole Chapter Notes

Notetaker – Whole Chapter Notes

Scenario 1: Stand-Alone Reading Course  Monday: Introduce a new reading strategy and practice it in class  Homework: Try the new strategy at home on “real reading.”  Wednesday: Report to group on the strategy  Turn in notes they took related to roles  Begin a new cycle of reading–  Facilitate discussions with groups to help them select the most appropriate roles  Assign group members new roles to perform for the following Wednesday  Friday: Evaluate strategy  Fill out an evaluation form on the helpfulness of the strategy  Journal on their performance in their other classes

Scenario 2: Reading & Interpersonal Communication (SPCH) Learning Community  Follow & support the weekly SPCH reading assignments using textbook circles  Wednesday nights: SPCH class meets with weekly chapter quiz  Thursday nights: READ class meets with weekly quiz reflection, strategy demos and discussion  Try out 5 strategy roles; then apply the most effective for 3 additional chapters

Outcomes  Content mastery  Self-regulation skills  Get to know their personal preferences  Select strategies based on text structure and assignment goals  Find what’s most effective for them  Discussion skills  Regular practice  Talk over content and strategies  Evaluate

Outcomes – Transfer Course Faculty Perspective  Increased participation in class discussions  Increased ability to relate and integrate course concepts across chapters  Increased confidence and preparedness for course activities  Deeper connections of course content to life experiences  Similar experience with the content prior to class--creating a common, solid foundation  More successful course completions than my other SPCH courses

Application for your situation  Learning center  Content instructor  Reading instructor– stand alone or learning community Turn and talk with a neighbor