Literature Circles
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Small, temporary discussion groups
who have read the same text.
Have regular timed meetings with
notes that are needed to help the
student fully participate during the
discussion.
Discussions are a way to extend
comprehension, see other
perspectives/ opinions and critique
a selection.
Rationale
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Encourages a positive attitude towards reading.
Requires active engagement with the text.
Encourages intensive and extensive thinking
about the reading selection.
Way to provide choices with structure.
Supports natural discussions that foster
interaction between students concerning text.
Provides a format the for nurturing of self
evaluation of ideas and thinking.
Comparison of Guided Reading and
Literature Circles
Guided Reading
Literature Circles
Students –
Strategic readers
Grouped homogeneously as to
reading needs
StudentsCritical readers/thinkers
Grouped heterogeneous by
interest
Texts –
Challenging, where there is an
opportunity to build
problem solving strategies
Chosen by the teacher
TextsChallenging, where there is
an opportunity to think
deeply and critically about
the text, their lives and the
world
Chosen by the students
based on interest
Guided Reading
Literature Circles
Teacher-
Teacher-
Supports development of
reading strategies
Evaluates student's
strategies and level
Running records and miscue
analysis
Introduces text
Selects 1 or 2 teaching
points
Major instructional role and
teaches strategies
Supports deep and critical
thinking of text through
dialogue to help students to
construct new
understandings
Participates as a reader to
demonstrate ways of
thinking and responding to
text
Facilitates discuss among the
group of students
Rules
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Sit together at the same level; not
some on floor and some in chairs.
Come to the group prepared.
Use quiet voices.
Listen to each other.
See other points of view even if you
don’t agree.
Literature Circle Roles
By Paula Wall
These are jobs that you complete
to help with the discussion on the
literature circle reading.
You will use post-it notes to help you quickly find
these so that you may complete your literature
circle journal when you arrive to class.
Life Connector
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Your job is to find connections
between the book that your group is
reading. These connections can be with
you, another book or media source,
world events, or between characters
and events in the story.
Be sure to post-it note each of these
for sharing or to start a discussion.
Discussion Director
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Your job is to write questions that your
group can use a springboard for the
literature discussion. You want to
write questions that concern the big
ideas of the selection, not the small
details.
The best discussion questions are from
your thoughts, feelings, reactions, and
concerns that you had while during
and after reading.
Passage Master
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Your job is to locate special or
important passages for your group to
read aloud.
Decide on 2 or 3 passages.
Plan how they should be shared.
Lead discussion on reason why they
were chosen.
Some reasons you might chose a
passageTurning Point
Controversial
Confusing
Funny
Well written
Mood invoking
Insightful to character or plot
Summarizer
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Your job is to brief tell the summary of
the passage that was read. Post it note
main or key points that you need to
include in the summary.
 What
is a Summary?
It is a quick, short paragraph that
helps the group focus on the main
ideas or events. It is not a complete
retell, just the key points.
Mapper of Meaning
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Your job is to help your group
understand the reading passage by
using a thinking map or graphic
organizer.
Choose a map and complete it.
Be prepared to share with group.
Explain what important element of the
selection it helps you understand or
clarify.
Vocabulary Enricher
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Your job is to be looking for a few good
words or expressions that stand out in
the reading.
These should be post-it noted so you
can share with the group.
Explain why you chose them.
Some reasons you might chose a wordUnfamiliar (jot down the definition)
Used in an unusual way
Repeated a lot- Why did the author do
this?
Interesting sounding word
Key to meaning of text
Giver 0f Quotes
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Find important quotes in the selection
that you read.
Post-it note each of these for sharing
with the group.
Do not tell who said them; see if your
group can recognize the character by
their words.
Be ready to explain why you chose
these.
Resources
Moving Forward With Literature Circles by Day, Spiegel,
McLellan, and Brown
ISBN 0439176689
Literature Circles and Responses by Hill, Johnson, and Schlick
Noe
ISBN 092684248x
Literature Circles, Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading
Groups by Harvey Daniels
ISBN 1571103333
Critical Literacy by McLaughlin and DeVoogd
ISBN 0439628040