Literature circles are student-led reading groups formed by book choice. Members can be assigned specific roles, such as discussion leader or connector, and teachers can assign tasks like journaling or vocabulary research. Fiction and non-fiction can be used, and the goal is to encourage critical thinking.
A literature circle is a strategy for reading most often used in the classroom. This type of reading activity can be used in elementary, middle, or high school classrooms. This activity is led by the students in the group and collaboration is one of the key aspects.
In general, literary circles are formed in classrooms by students rather than by the teacher. Teachers often provide a list of book options for students to choose from. The literary circles are then formed by the choice of the book; in other words, students who choose the same book to read will be in the same circle, regardless of their skill levels. The most effective number of group members for a literature circle ranges from four to eight, but the size of each circle can depend on the size of the class.
The difference between a book club and a discussion group is that book clubs are generally more structured, but at the same time allow for a degree of flexibility. For example, group members can be assigned specific roles. One role can be discussion leader. This person would be responsible for creating questions for group members to discuss during the lesson. Another role could be an abstract, and this person would be responsible for identifying the most important points of the assigned reading and explaining them to the rest of the circle.
Another role in a literary circle is a connector. The person in this role would use real-life experiences or knowledge and link them to passages in the text, which could make the text more meaningful to group members, thus improving understanding. The illustrator can draw or draw scenes or events while reading, which provides another way for students to see and understand the text.
In addition to specific role assignments, teachers can also assign work to all group members. An example of this might be journaling, where each student reflects individually through writing on their assigned reading. Taking the magazine into the literature circle and sharing some of the entries can provide other topics for discussion. Taking note of unfamiliar vocabulary words and finding the meaning of the words can also be tasks assigned to all group members and the words could then be discussed in class.
While fiction is the most common type of reading material used in literary circles, non-fiction can also be introduced. The main purpose of a literary circle is to make students think about the text they are reading and to make critical judgements. Teachers have many options for how to structure the circles, which allows for flexibility.
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