• Thomas Baker• Colegio del Verbo Divino• Santiago, Chile• profesorbaker@gmail.com

LITERATURE CIRCLES• Literature circles

bring together two potent ideas:

• Independent reading. • Cooperative learning.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURESStudents choose own reading materials.

Small temporary groups formed based on book choice.

Different groups read different books.

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

Students use written or drawn notes to guide both their reading and discussion.

Discussion topics come from the students.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURESGroup meetings are open, natural conversations about books.

Students can play a rotating assortment of task roles.

Teacher is a facilitator, not a group member or instructor.

Evaluation is by teacher observation and student self-evaluation.

A spirit of playfulness and fun pervades the room.

Readers share with their classmates when books are finished, then new groups form around new reading choices.

Books are nominated and students choose the book they want to read.

How do students choose a book?

WHAT IS THE TEACHER’S ROLE?

Nominate books to read.

Allocate roles to students.

Evaluate students.

OUTCOMESBy taking part in a literature circle students:

Read a book of their choice with a group who has also chosen this book.

Discuss the book and work out a shared understanding of it.

Share this understanding with the whole class.

TO ACHIEVE THE OUTCOMES STUDENTS WILL:

Choose a book.

Play a role in discussions of the book.

Keep a diary of their response to the book.

Present to the class: PPT, Trial, Reader’s Theater, Book Report, Poster, Talk Show, Write New Ending, Roleplay, Hotseat, etc.

EVALUATIONTeacher evaluates by

observation during discussions and marking

reading response logs.

Students evaluate their own progress at the end of the literature circle.

SUMMARY OF ROLES• Discussion Director• Super Summariser• Passage Person• Word Wizard• Cool Connector• Idea Investigator• Artful Artist• Culture Collector

ROLES in a LITERATURE CIRCLE

• Directs the discussion. Helps people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions: thoughts, opinions, and feelings.

Discussion Director

• Prepares a brief summary of “today’s reading” which conveys the highlights or the key points in the pages read.

Super Summariser

• Locate parts of the text to read aloud to the group. Could be interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling or important.

Passage Person

Artful ArtistYour job is to draw anything about the part you liked. You may also draw something as a response to the reading.

-Character

-Setting

-Problem

-Exciting Part

-Surprising Part

When your group meets, don’t say what your drawing is. Let them guess and talk about it. Then you can tell them about it.

• Find connections between the book and: - another book – a movie – art – music –the media – current events - your life, etc.

Cool Connector

• Find background information on any topic related to the book - geography, weather, author, time period, history of book’s setting, etc.

Idea Investigator

• Finds 5 important words in today’s

reading - puzzling, repeated a lot,

unusual, unfamiliar, lexical

set.

Word Wizard

• Notes similarities and differences between the culture represented in the story and your own culture. All cultures have:

Culture Collector

Symbols – Objects, gestures, pictures.

Heroes – Persons with desirable characteristics.

Rituals – Greeting, leaving, paying respect.

Values – What is important to a culture.

http://home.att.net/~teaching/litcircl/phases.pdf

BOOKS ON LITERATURE CIRCLES

REFERENCES

• Mark Furr – EFL Literature Circles – www.eflliteraturecircles.com

• Daniels, H. 1994. Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom. York, ME: Stenhouse.

• Day, J., Spiegel, D., McClellan, J. & Brown, V. 2002. Moving Forward with Literature Circles. Jefferson City, MO: Scholastic.

Thank You!