Literature Circles
Literature circles are structured collaborative learning activities designed to enhance reading skills and foster a love for literature among students from primary grades through high school. Originating from concepts in psychology and education, including learner-centered teaching and reader-response theory, literature circles shift the focus from traditional teacher-led discussions to student-driven engagement with texts. In these circles, small groups of four to six students select reading materials and assume specific roles—such as conversation captain or literary critic—which ensures active participation from all members. The teacher acts as a facilitator rather than an instructor, guiding the process while students manage their discussions and evaluations.
Literature circles promote critical thinking and literary analysis, helping students develop essential skills that extend beyond reading comprehension. With advances in technology, literature circles have also adapted to include virtual formats, making them accessible to a wider audience, including adults and home-schooled students. The integration of various media, including e-readers and tablets, allows for a diverse range of texts and approaches. Overall, these circles cultivate a community of readers who appreciate literature through shared experiences and collaborative exploration.
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Literature Circles
The traditional model of the teacher leading a discussion about a work of literature has been a time-honored method for literary analysis from grammar school through high school. This teacher-centered approach works well for students who already know how to read well and who thrive in such learning environments. For the student who lacks good reading skills and who is bored or antagonistic toward books, the teacher-directed style may not be the ideal way to teach critical reading skills and literary comprehension. With the inclusion of special-needs students into many classrooms and for those requiring extra assistance in reading and studying, a new system was needed. Literature circles developed in response to these concerns.
Overview
Literature circles evolved from the disciplines of psychology and education. Carl Rogers, a twentieth-century American psychologist, first developed the concept of learner-centered teaching. Concepts in education such as reader-response theory evolved from Rogers’s premise in the 1960s. Reader-response theory states that a person’s cultural background impacts how he or she perceives and interprets a text. Collaborative learning, scaffolding theory, independent reading, reader-response criticism, and student-centered learning are some of the influential educational practices that led to this multidisciplinary approach to teaching reading. Loosely based on book clubs, literature circles are structured activities that occur during the school year. Used in primary grades through high school, literature circles instill love for reading and stress critical evaluation skills that extend to other school subjects. With the advent of technology, virtual literature circles comprised of members in all parts of the world are growing. Webinars and tablet-based formats of literature circles are popular with adults and home-schooled students. Literature circles that previously worked with only printed books are now conducted on electronic devices such as e-readers, phones, tablets, and laptops.
Several small groups of four to six students are formed within the larger class. Students have the responsibility of choosing the reading material and forming groups that last for the duration of reading and studying that work. They also are responsible for regular meeting times and for managing the success of the circle. The structure of literature circles allows students to play roles, thus ensuring that all members participate. The teacher is the facilitator, not the instructor. Assessment and evaluation of work produced in the circle is used for each student’s final grade.
Using role sheet templates designed by the teacher or educational websites and manuals, each student chooses an initial role. These roles are conversation captain, literary critic, word wizard, summarizer, concept connector, quote/line finder, historian, and summarizer. These titles are not rigid; schools may have different names of the roles, but the main tasks are the same. The circle may use visuals such as mind maps, graphic organizers, or web outlines. This allows students who are not comfortable with writing and analyzing to participate in the circle with the goal of taking on more visible roles. Students acquire greater appreciation of literature in a community of readers.
Bibliography
Cameron, Sheena, et al. “Engaging Fluent Readers Using Literature Circles.” Literacy Learners: The Middle Years 20.1 (2012). Print.
Daniels, Harvey, and Marilyn Bizar. Teaching the Best Practice Way: Methods That Matter, K–12. Portland: Stenhouse, 2005. Print.
Day, Jeni Pollack. Moving Forward with Literature Circles: How to Plan, Manage, and Evaluate Literature Circles That Deepen Understanding and Foster a Love of Reading. New York: Scholastic Professional, 2002. Print.
“Good Books for Literature Circles.” Literature Circles Resource Center. Katherine L. Schlick Noe, 2011. Web. 28 July 2013.
Hill, Bonnie Campbell, Nancy J. Johnson, and Katherine L. Schlick Noe. Literature Circles and Response. Norwood: Christopher-Gordon, 1995. Print.
Perenfein, Deborah, and Brooke Morris. Literature Circles: The Way to Go and How to Get There. Westminster: Teacher Created Resources, 2004. Print.
Pierce, Margo. “Apps and Ideas for Literature Circles on iPads.” Journal. Public Sector Media, 8 May 2012. Web. 28 July 2013.
Shelton Strong, Scott J. “Literature Circles in ELT.” ELT Journal 66.2 (2012): 214–23. Print.
Turk, Judith K. "Literature Circles Promote Accountability and Student Engagement with Assigned Reading in a Soil Science Class." Natural Sciences Education, vol. 52, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2023, doi.org/10.1002/nse2.20103. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.