1. 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

2. Textbook Circle Success in a Learning Community Reading & Interpersonal Communication

3. 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%

4. 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)

5. 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

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

10. Illustrator – Whole Chapter Notes

11. Notetaker – Whole Chapter Notes

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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