1. Literature Circles

2. LITERATURE CIRCLES
Literature Circles are small, temporary discussion groups comprised of students who have chosen to read the same story, poem, article, or book.
While reading each group-determined portion of the text (either in or outside of class), each member prepares to take specific responsibilities in the upcoming discussion, and everyone comes to the groups with the notes needed to help perform that job.
The circles have regular meetings, with discussion roles rotating each session.
When they finish a book, the circle members plan a way to share highlights of their reading with the wider community; then they trade members with other finishing groups, select more reading, and move into a new cycle.
Once readers can successfully conduct their own wide-ranging, self-sustaining discussions, formal discussion roles may be dropped.

3. LITERATURE CIRCLES PURPOSES
In Literature Circles students exchange perceptions, interpretations and questions about the literature they read.
Students who are reading the same literature gather to discuss the selection and work together to construct meaning from the text, and
students who are reading different books gather to compare themes, writing styles, and selections by the same author.
Personal responses, insights and questions can be recorded in logs or journals during reading, then shared during group sessions.
Initial Literature Circles may be teacher-led, but students who are truly engaged in the literature selection can conduct their own sessions.

4. GROUP FORMATION AND SIZE
Literature circle groups are formed around several people's shared desire to read the same book or article –
not by reading level, ability grouping,teacher assignment, or curriculum mandate.
These groups are temporary and task oriented.
They often mix children of different "abilities.“
Once they have finished their job-reading and discussing a book of common interest, the group disbands and individual members find their way into new, different groups by picking their next book.
In practice, many factors force teachers to have groups larger or smaller than the optimal four or five.
Another option is to read and discuss in pairs.

5. ROLE OF THE INSTRUCTOR – Facilitator of the Group
Daniels (1994, p. 25) states, "The teacher's main job in literature circles is to not teach, at least in the traditional sense of the term." He emphases the role of teacher as facilitator. Most of the teacher's work is organizational, managerial, and logistical. Teachers:
collect sets of good books,
help groups to form,
visit and observe group meetings,
confer with kids or groups who struggle,
orchestrate sharing sessions,
keep records, and
make assessment notes.

6. ROLE OF THE INSTRUCTOR
According to Probst (p. 34)
... the teacher must try to cultivate an atmosphere that is cooperative rather than competitive.
Debate is an inappropriate model, since it assumes that some is right and some is wrong, that someone wins and someone loses.
The discussion should build, one idea feeding the next, with participants gradually acquiring sharper insights, changing their minds, and adding the observations of others to their own, broadening their perspectives on the work.

7. ROLE OF THE STUDENT
INSTRUCTOR
Important for the teacher to properly model each of these roles so that students have a thorough understanding of what is being expected of them.
Many teachers introduce each role on a separate day as they read a novel to the students.
STUDENT
Group members are encouraged to change roles each day, rotating the jobs among all the group members.
Each day each students complete a role sheet.
Students keep role sheets in a binder and form a record of student work and can be used for assessment.

8. STUDENT ROLE – TRAVEL TRACER
Travel Tracer: When you are reading a book where characters move around a lot and the scene changes frequently, it is important for everyone in your group to know where things are happening and how the setting may have changed. So that's your job: to track carefully where the action takes place during today's reading. Describe each setting in detail, either in words or with an action map or diagram you can show to your group. Be sure to give the page locations where the scene is described.
Where today's action begins:
Where key events happen today:
Where today's events end:

9. STUDENT ROLE INVESTIGATOR
Investigator: Your job is to dig up some background information on any topic related to your book. This might include:
· The geography, weather, culture, or history of the book's setting.
· Information about the author, her/his life, and other works.
· Information about the time period portrayed in the book.
· Pictures, objects, or materials that illustrate elements of the book.
· The history and derivation of words or names used in the book.
· Music that reflects the book or the time.
This is not a formal research report. The idea is to find one bit of information or material that helps your group understand the book better. Investigate something that really interests you - something that struck you as puzzling or curious while you were reading.

10. STUDENT ROLE- CONNECTOR
Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book your group is reading and the world outside. This means connecting the reading to your own life, to happenings at school or in the community, to similar events at other times and places, to other people or problems that you are reminded of. You might also see connections between this book and other writings on the same topic, or by the same author. There are no right answers here-whatever the reading connects you with is worth sharing!
Some connections I found between this reading and other people, places, events, authors...
1. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ 2.

11. STUDENT ROLE-LITERARY LUMINARY
Literary Luminary: Your job is to locate a few special sections of the text that your group would like to hear read aloud. The idea is to help people remember some interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the text. You decide which passages or paragraphs are worth hearing, and then jot plans for how they should be shared. You can read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently and then discuss.
 Location___  Reason for Picking ____   Plan for Reading________
 1. Page
  Paragraph
Possible reasons for picking a passage to be shared:
Important; Informative / Surprising; Controversial / Funny; Well written / Confusing; Thought-provoking

12. STUDENT ROLE – VOCABULARY ENRICHER
Vocabulary Enricher: Your job is to be on the lookout for a few especially important words in today's reading. If you find words that are puzzling or unfamiliar, mark them while you are reading, and then later jot down their definition, either from a dictionary or some other source. You may also run across familiar words that stand out somehow in the reading-words that are repeated a lot, used in an unusual way, or key to the meaning of the text. Mark these special words too, and be ready to point them out to the group. When your circle meets, help members find and discuss these words.
Page No. & Paragraph  
Word  
Definition  
Plan

13. STUDENT ROLE – DISCUSSION DIRECTOR
Discussion Director: You job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don't worry about the small details: your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read, which you can list below, during or after your reading. Or you may use some of the general questions below to develop topics for your group.
Possible discussion questions or topics for today:
1 ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
Sample questions:
What was going through your mind while you read this?
How did you feel while reading this part of the book?

14. STUDENT ROLE - ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrator: Your job is to draw some kind of picture related to the reading. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flow chart or stick-figure scene. You can draw a picture of something that's discussed specifically in your book, or something that the reading reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling you got from the reading. Any kind of drawing or graphic is okay - you can even label things with words if that helps.
Make your drawing on this paper. If you need more room, use the back.

15. TIME AS A CONSIDERATION
Based on a synthesis of research on reading comprehension, Fielding and Pearson (1994) determined that allocating ample time for reading is one of the teacher's most important tasks in fostering comprehension.
The main benefit of time for reading is "the sheer opportunity to orchestrate the skills and strategies that are important to proficient reading.“
(Fielding & Pearson, p. 62) Their research further indicates that teachers can increase the likelihood that increased time in reading will translate into improved comprehension by: allowing student choice of reading materials; encouraging rereading of texts; and providing for group discussions.

16. TALK AS A CONSIDERATION
Britton (1972) has written at length about the important role of talk in helping students to formulate as well as articulate their thoughts.
He explains that, of the three principal language functions (expressive, transactional, and poetic), expressive language is what we use to relate to others.
Expressive speech is the language of exploration, of thinking out loud, and of making meaning out of learning.
Through dialogue, individuals are forced to clarify their own thoughts, and the mutual exchange of ideas enables each individual to extend his or her thinking beyond what each can do alone.
Critical thinking skills are developed when students learn, through discourse, to consider the points of view of others.

17. HETEROGENEOUS GROUPINGS AS A CONSIDERATION
The belief that less able readers needed different kinds of reading instruction (i.e. more practice in skills exercises and less actual reading) led to the traditional classroom practice of using ability as the basis for instructional groupings.
Present research indicates, however, that "heterogeneous grouping leads to higher achievement for all students" (Dishon &O'Leary, 1984, in Pardo & Raphael, 1991, p. 557).
Furthermore, the detrimental effects on self concept of being in a low ability group have been well documented (Morgan in Berghoff, 1989, in Berghoff & Egawa, 1991).