Literature Circles
Area
Reading, writing and literature
Duration
1 session (to continue meeting in other sessions if successful)
Dimension of the advised group of students
One group of 20-30 people divided in groups of 6
Specific objectives
- to take ownership over a book discussion
- to practice essential reading skills (summarizing, questioning, making
predictions)
- to develop a book club or similar structure and encourage reading literature
Needed Materials
- An agreed upon reading (short story, novel, play, etc.)
- Paper and writing instruments of choice for each participant
- Role sheets
If the training is organized online one communication platform will be necessary.
Software
- One online communication platform, such us: Zoom, Google Meet, Webex,
etc.
- In person, no software is needed.
Description
Literature circles, similar to book clubs, prompt participants to express ideas, analyze
literacy concepts, collaborate with peers, and apply reading skills. Participants select
reading material they all read and work on in different roles. The roles are as follows:
- Summarizer: prepares a brief summary of the reading
- Questioner / Discussion Director: develops a list of questions that the group
might want to discuss about the reading
- Connector: finds connections between the reading and themselves and
between the reading and the wider world
- Illustrator: draws a picture related to the reading
- Word Wizard: notes important words from the reading (unusual, unknown)
- Researcher: digs up background information on any relevant topic related to
the reading
The success of the activity depends on every member of the group fulfilling their role,
so the group itself makes participants accountable. If students at risk of demotivation
do not complete their task, their group will be unable to participate in the discussion.
This should be made clear from the beginning, so participants know the importance of
their role.
Procedure on how to put in practice
Duration: 60 minutes (more if reading is done during activity)
No of participants: groups of 6
Methods used: group discussion
Competences developed: critical thinking, reflection, reading comprehension
Step-by-step description:
1. Meet to create groups and decide on reading materials. These should be
literature that appeals to participants, and they can relate to. Divide roles,
hand out sheets and explain their task.
2. After tasks are completed (which could be at home or at the meeting),
participants meet in designated groups to discuss reading.
3. Discussion starts with statement from summarizer that covers the key points,
main highlight and general idea. Participants discuss key points to see if they
agree and think about whether the reading reminded them of anything else.
4. Connector then takes the lead and brings connections between reading and
own experiences to the table. The rest of participants discuss their own ideas.
5. At this point, discussion moves to questions asked by the Questioner. The
Word Wizard might help with the most repeated words in the text or the ones
that are crucial to the message.
6. Whenever it fits in the conversation, Illustrator shows their drawing to the
group and lets them speculate on what the picture means and the connection
to their own ideas.
7. The Researcher inserts the information found during the discussion if it is
relevant or might take time at the end to bring the discussion to aspects that
they found curious while reading and investigated further.
Debriefing question: What worked well in the discussion? What do we still need to
work on? Which role would you like to have next?
