Literature

Circles
Definition :
They were temporary reading groups in
which students had the opportunity to
choose the books and discuss them with
their peers.
Tips to choose the books:
Teacher prepares five books, read a
little about the author background and pass
the book so all the pupils can see it.
Pupils have to choose a book that
seems interesting for them to read.
Pupils can use the "five finger" rule
where a student opens to any page in a book
and counts the words they don't know. If they
find more than five unfamiliar words on the
page, the book is probably too hard for them.
Weekly Meetings:
The pupils run the weekly meetings
themselves observed by the teacher.
The Discussion Director usually starts the
meeting by sharing the discussion questions
and by giving everyone the chance to
respond.
Then,the Discussion Director chooses the
next person to speak.
To make the discussion run smoothly, the
pupils take turns by going around the circle.
It simply depends on your students and the
amount of time you have to spend on
Literature Circles each week.

Grading/Assessment:
First, the pupils are
expected to be done
reading the pages
assigned.
Second, they must
have their role sheet
completed
thoroughly.
Finally, they must
have their book with
them.


Reasons for Literature Circles:
Give the pupils the opportunity to do be
challenged and engaged while holding
them accountable for their reading.
The pupils have a chance to analyze what
they've read with a group of their peers,
and this discussion enhances their
understanding and appreciation of the
story.
Give the pupils opportunity to develop
important time-management skills that
will help them in future years.


Student Roles:
Discussion Director--- Responsible for
coming up with the discussion questions for
the selection.
Word Wizard--- Responsible for analyzing
unfamiliar or especially challenging words
in the selection.
Literary Luminary--- Responsible for
choosing two passages from the reading
selection to share with the group.
Connector---The Connector is in charge of
sharing the connections he made as he was
reading the selection.
Reporter---This student is responsible for
summarizing the selection read.