Literature Circles (LC)
~LC-are learner lead. That means the
teacher steps back and facilitates while the children lead the
~Literature Circles combine
independent reading with cooperative learning opportunities.
~Literature circles do not replace
reading instruction. They enhance it! They are excellent components
of any balanced reading program (guided reading, shared readings,
read alouds, and independent readings)
~LC are structured to help children
engage in meaningful discussions. They are not free-for-alls!
~With literature circles, children
choose the book they want to read and discuss.
~The groups (usually 4-6 children) lead the discussion themselves.
Each group member has an assigned role such as these as described by
Janet Lopez, a teacher in Alaska- Discussion Director, Literacy
Luminary, Character Captain, Artistic Adventurer, Vocabulary Enricher (roles
Education World has defined these roles:
- Artful Artist uses
some form of artwork to represent a significant scene or idea from
- Literary Luminary
points out interesting or important passages within the reading.
- Discussion Director
writes questions that will lead to discussion by the group.
- Capable Connector
finds connections between the reading material and something
outside the text, such as a personal experience, a topic studied
in another class, or a different work of literature.
- Word Wizard
discusses words in the text that are unusual, interesting, or
difficult to understand.
~LC groups can be made up of mixed
~Different groups read different
~At each meeting, the
children discuss what they have read and plan for their next
meeting. Group members decide what they want to talk about at
each meeting. When introducing LC in your class, you will need to
provide guidance on what the children should discuss.
~Groups members have opportunities to
try each role before the year ends.
~Groups meet regularly to discuss
~Group members are responsible for
taking notes about what they have read so that they can have
meaningful discussions with their group.
~The teacher serves as a facilitator,
not the instructor.
~LC provide many opportunities for
~Evaluation is done through teacher
observation and students' self-evaluations/final projects.
~When students finish a novel they can
decide on a fun way to showcase the book.
It is very helpful to
have several selections for the groups to choose from. Make
selections that fit the different abilities of your readers- low,
average and high. Each child will need their own copy, so make sure
you have multiple copies of each title. Scholastic book clubs are an
excellent and affordable way to build your classroom library.
Let children preview books (guide them to selections that match
their reading ability) and write down their top 3 choices. From
there slot kids into the groups based on their preferences.
There are many ways to
organize your groups. You need to find a way that suits you and your
Literature Circle Resource Center has great ideas on how to set
the children the shorter amount of time is schedule for LC. Teacher
modeling and involvement is more with young sets of children. Older
children will be reading longer and more complicated books. They are
working more independently and will need more time to complete their
The Literature Circle Resource Centers offers these guidelines:
Grade- 1 Week
4th Grade-3-4 Weeks
6th Grade- 4-6 Weeks.
Your student's reading abilities will
also affect the time it takes them to complete a book. Make sure you
factor that into your time schedules.
Students meet regularly to discuss their
book selection. The number of days is up to you. Some teachers have
students meet as many as 4 days a week while others meet only 1-2.
You need to do what work s for you and your students.
Each group member has an assigned job. As
they read, they take notes. They mark pages with sticky notes. They mark interesting text,
word or pages they want to discuss. Students must be active
readers in order to be active group members during discussion time.