• 1. Students choose reading (could provide a list, this encourages student engagement)

• 2. Small groups formed (longer-term groups based on book choice, and long-term groups enhances student connection and support)

• 3. Different groups read different books

• 4. Groups meet on regular basis

• 5. Students choose discussion topics

• 6. Teacher is not a group member-facilitator

• 7. Teachers evaluate through observation and also provide students opportunity to evaluate self and peers

• Model this first!

• Summarizer

• Questioner/Discussion Director

• Vocabulary Enricher

• Literary Enricher

• Connector

• Author Reflector

• (these are suggestions, and teachers can make/invent other roles, or not have roles at all)

• For more information on roles see:

• http://www.ipadlitcircles.com/uploads/1/0/6/6/10664962/lit_circles.role_sheets.pdf

6 Roles

• Prepare a brief summary of

day’s reading

• 1-2 minute statement that covers

• the key points,

•main highlights, and

• general idea of day’s reading

assignment. Basic

responsibilities

• Develop a list of questions that

your group might want to discuss

about scheduled part of the

book

• Talk over the big ideas in the

reading and encourage others

to share their reactions/opinions

• Best discussion questions come

from one’s own thoughts,

feelings, and concerns as you

read

• Guide other roles in group

• Be on the lookout for a few words

that have special meaning in

today’s reading selection

• Write down puzzling or

unfamiliar words while you are

reading, look up the definitions in

either a dictionary or some other

source

• Write down words that stand out

somehow in the reading – words

that are repeated a lot, used in

an unusual way, or are crucial to

the meaning of the text.

• Locate a few special sections or quotations in the text for your group to talk over

• help people go back to some especially interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the reading

• decide which passages or paragraphs are worth going back to, make a note why you picked each one and consider some plans for how they should be shared

• read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently and then discuss

• Job is to find connections between the book and you, and between the book and the wider world

• Consider the list below when you make your connections • Your own past experiences

• Happenings at school or in the community

• Stories in the news

• Similar events at other times and places

• Other people or problems that you are reminded of

• Between this book and other writings on the same topic or by the same author

• assume the role of the author

and focus the group members

on reflecting as an author

• Reflect on questions such as:

•What if you could actually

change, modify, or refocus

parts of the story?

• What is a new plot idea that you

might now consider as part of the

story?

• What new character information

might you reveal in this part of

the story?

• http://www.youtube.com/watc

h?v=S2CnA0uIqMs&feature=r

elated

• Choose literature that is

relevant to students’

lives…socially, politically,

geographically

• To get students interested,

teachers should provide

literature that can relate to

their own experience

• Examples: Indonesian

literature, Romeo and Juliet,

Acehnese folktales?

• Consider all kinds of literature-not just the classics,

choose multicultural authors

• Do extensive reading-if possible, do not use abridged

versions of texts as this may take away from the

message/authenticity/culture from the book

• Choose the right level for your students

• Choose literature that students can identify with

(Example: Twilight)

• In line with CLL, literature circles develop trust amongst group

members making group members more communicative, also

peers can act as tutors

• Encourages critical thinking

• Focuses on form and meaning (incidental vocabulary learning

through reading, repetition through discussion and tasks)

• Improves communication in an authentic way

• Motivates students to read, and enjoy the act of reading while

developing literacy

• Have opportunity to explore cultures and stories that relate to

their own culture and story

• Authentic material

• Cultural awareness/sensitivity of other cultures and own

culture/disseminate stereotypes-with assistance from teacher

• Language acquisition

• Textbooks cannot provide the same emotional engagement as a

piece of literature

• Students can use their imagination

• Motivation for students to read-given the teachers selects

appropriate literature and provides the right learning

environment-CLL

• Terima Kasih!

• English Language Fellows

in Indonesia link on Facebook

• Mengajar English:

• www.mengajarenglish.com

• Lesson plans, articles for English teachers in

Indonesia