Teaching practices for literacy reading and viewing. Book clubs vs literature circles proteacher community. Traditionally, we have used literature circles, book clubs, and article studies with students who were reading above grade level. Womens groups and the rise of the book club jstor daily.
You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the authors craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Jul 29, 20 i teach a 4th grade selfcontained class. Lit circles teach kids how to use each other as resources and become independent learners. The classroom book clubs program includes membership in a private facebook group of teachers who are implementing this approach to literature circles. I have always supported the use of literature circles within the classroom. A literature circle is equivalent for young people of an adult book club, but with greater structure, expectation and rigor. I will determine the literature circle theme and choose the book options based on the interests and reading levels of my students. Basically, literature circles are another name for elementary school book clubs. The following pages and activities have been based on those described in harvey daniels book literature circles voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups i have reorganized or reinvented group and independent activities plus added rubrics for evaluation from the suggestions made in their book. Ssetting up literature circles or book clubs in your.
For middle and highschool students, short stories are a perfect choice. Book clubs literature circles book clubs are smallgroup discussions around a shared text. As a group of students reads a novel or longer text, they meet regularly in book clubs to share observations, questions, and new learnings related to their reading. Depending on the maturity level of the class, we met with either great success or total disaster. Literature circles can be a place for cooperative learning. The aim is to encourage thoughtful discussion and a love of reading in young people. I need a wide range from very low 3rd grade to high 4th. What type of literature circle grouping works bestsame. Literature circles, book clubs, and article studies literature circles, book clubs, and article studies are another important structure in our balanced or comprehensive literacy instructional framework. Oct 18, 2014 our class reading had drawn from harvey daniels literature circles. While literature circles are often seen as more suitable for older students, rich conversations, observations and wonderings about texts are possible at all year levels, even as early as foundation to year 2.
Teachers have kids working in small groups with guided reading, guided math, writers workshop, science labs, literacy workstations, and more. Ive been reading about both book clubs and literature circles. Ive tried lit circles for the past three years with my fifth graders, with varied results. We read the best christmas pagaent ever right before christmas as a whole class, and they loved it. Of course, in order for them to be an effective structure for cooperative learning, the teacher needs to intentionally develop them as such. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book sales club, which can cause confusion. Using a variety of different structures and procedures that matched our grade levels, wed been dazzled by what the kids could do when given choices, time, responsibility, a little guidance, and a.
I must admit i was really skeptical at first with the idea of letting go, as she says. The intent of literature circles is to allow students to practice and develop the skills and strategies of good readers dalie, 2001. I love how she sets up her book clubs literature circles and includes questions from edhelper that she grades. Popular literature circle books goodreads share book. Students are grouped based on a book that they choose to read. Overview of literature circles literature circles resource.
Talk about books a guide for book clubs, literature circles, and discussion groups, grades 48 knowles, liz on. Introduce the unit with a short book talk about each book that a group may choose or talk about what type of short text students will select. Literature circles are a wonderful answer to this dilemma, even for the most reluctant of high school readers. In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. Of course, in order for them to be an effective structure for cooperative learning. At the same time, this debate brought up questions of gender bias in the creation of such literary standards. In my classroom, literature circles are called book clubs. Guided reading and book clubs also called literature circles also motivate students by giving a purpose to their reading. Nov 22, 2009 were currently experimenting with online literature circles at our school. By creating roles within each literature circle or book club group and specific tasks for the group to accomplish during their text discussion time, teachers can modify the work to make it more studentcentered. The first thing i learned about literature circles is that there are so many different versions out there that i would never have time to discuss them all. Literature circles are not to be confused with book discussion clubs, currently popular in some circles. Best books for boys from transforming boys into lifelong readers and lovers of books is our mission. Which would be better for student lead small group discussions.
Students help each other understand a text and make. This debate embodied the discomfort writers and academics had with oprahs book club, which came to represent the commodification of literature and the lowering of literary standards. Students demonstrate how to conduct literature circles. This resource consists of 5 short narrated videos that will teach you how to implement this method in a stepbystep way. Iv experimented with many different types of literature circles, and this page. Literature circles and book clubs are a text discussion strategies that supports studentled facilitation and discussion in small groups. Studentled book clubs have the same goals as literature circles. Ideal for the 40 book challenge, literature circles, and reading workshop. Voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups is it possible to grade students for their work in. Dec 02, 2017 the first thing i learned about literature circles is that there are so many different versions out there that i would never have time to discuss them all. This facebook group is a great place to ask questions and share ideas with other teachers as you implement literature circles.
Both of these options provide many benefits to our learners. The biggest difference between a literature circle and a book club is that the book club primarily focuses on comprehension of the story, while a literature circle explores not only comprehension. They are accessible to all students, including those who struggle with learning disabilities or read at a lower lexile. The training for literature circles seems to work best when done as a large group with the entire class. So, i will share details about two of the main types of literature circles being used in classrooms. With elementary students, the teacher can begin by reading an engaging picture book. One small group option not in this list is literature circles, and although literature circles have been around a while, there are many teachers. You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the authors craft, or. Book club book club literature circles novel studies. Were currently experimenting with online literature circles at our school certainly literature circles, book clubs, and discussion groups arent new tools for many teachers.
Classroom book clubs is a narrated slidecast that describes a fun and effective method of doing literature circles. Classroom book clubs are an easy and fun way to implement literature circles. Sep 14, 2012 students demonstrate how to conduct literature circles. Fulfill their chosen literature circle roles to contribute to the group. Last year, a colleague introduced me to the idea of book clubs. Whether they are called literature discussion groups, book clubs, reading response groups, or reading clubs, members of literature circles come together to discuss and respond to a book that they are reading at the same time. Book clubs and partnerships play a crucial role in supporting student comprehension and also in making the reading process a social one nichols, 2006. The groups in both cases are fluid and flexible, meaning they may change frequently. Book club by joel bedford is licensed under cc by 2. What brought us together was our excitement about the student book clubs meeting in our classrooms, which we called literature circles.
The power of literature circles in the classroom edutopia. See more ideas about literature circles, literature and book club books. Students help each other understand a text and make sense of it. When we get better at discussing, and making sure all students have a voice, they we can have more freedom.
Certainly literature circles, book clubs, and discussion groups arent new tools for many teachers. Sample book lists from literature circles resource guide 2000 by bonnie campbell hill, katherine l. For example, the saskatoon public school board has some great resources on their website about different ways to run literature circles, as well as assessment and evaluation considerations. At its core, literature circles are groups of students meeting together to discuss reading. Voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups by harvey daniels grading literature circles is it possible to grade students for their work in literature circles, over a whole book or a marking period. Explain the role sheets and your expectations for behavior in literature circles. Literature circles and book clubs betterlesson coaching. Scholastic book clubs childrens books for parents and. This pack makes setting up literature circles in grades 24 a breeze. Literature circlesor literature discussion groups or book clubs, as they are also commonly referred to asbut the seminal writer and researcher concerning literature circles, the one who needs to be cited in every piece of literature in order to give it a shred of credibility, is harvey daniels. Work in cooperative groups where everyone is involved to read a novel. Book clubsliterature circles book clubs are smallgroup discussions around a shared text. New book club questions reading groups literature circles ideas book club fiction and nonfiction bundle by not so wimpy teacher audiobooks are ideal for use in book clubs and literature circles. Smokey has been struck by the range of the book club boom that his book helped initiate.
Book clubs in first grade it may seem like a stretch, but the spring is such a great time to get your students ready and used to reading, thinking about, and discussing books with their peers instead of me, the teacher. Organizing activities such as book clubs and literature circles see for example daniels, 2002, in which children can discuss these issues with the teacher and with peers might contribute to the. Talk about books a guide for book clubs, literature circles, and discussion groups, grades 48. Scholastic book clubs is the best possible partner to help you get excellent childrens books into the hands of every child, to help them become successful lifelong readers and discover the joy and power of good books. The components of book clubs include choosing a book, reading the book, discussing the book, writing in your journal, and sharing the book by doing an extension project. In book clubs, people simply spend time discussing books. Other frequently used terms to describe a book discussion club include reading group, book group, and book. I have typically always used a sameability grouping for students in literature circles. In this lesson, we will define literature circles and book clubs and examine the similarities and differences between them as a means for engaging students in reading. Types of roles in literature circles activities for book club. Literature circles department of education and training. Book clubs featured guided reading literature circles its no secret that small group instruction is where its at.
Online literature circles and virtual book clubs classroom. Voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups and teaching the best practice way. There is some live action, as well as a scripted section that was written by a student. The one difference in our lit circles is that our conversation will be more structured, especially at the beginning. The discussion is guided by students response to what they have read. Students focus on making deep, meaningful connections with the text in addition diving deep into conflict and character. Book clubs are smallgroup discussions around a shared text. Voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups daniels, harvey on. The problem is i have to have the titles to the media specialist by friday morning. A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. Your group discussion will start with your 12 minute statement that covers the key points, main highlights, and general idea of todays reading assignment. Working from minilessons for literature circles by harvey daniels and nancy steineke, seminar participants explore proven activities and interactions that invite students into the world of books, writers, and ideas.
An opportunity for students to practice reading in a group setting, discuss what they have read, and apply reading strategies they have learned are just a few. This reading journal can be used with any novel to create a four week or fewer book club unit. Unfortunately, these studies appear under so many different names literature studies, book clubs, literature discussion groups, book clubs, literature circles, cooperative book discussion groups and often combine so many divergent ingredients teacher control versus student autonomy, assigned versus chosen books that one has to read very. Were currently experimenting with online literature circles at our school. I am a huge proponent of reading of all typesfrom magazines to wordless picture books. Id like to get away from our basal reader a little bit by doing some literature circles or novel studies as a whole class i havent decided yet. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Literature circles for reluctant high school readers. Allow students to choose groups or assign groups with 35 members per group. As a group of students reads a novel or longer text, they meet. Lit circle collection literature circles, teaching. The chief difference is that students are not assigned roles. I order about 15 of each title, pickup the books from the library, and we get to work. Why you should use literature circles with your students.
They function in a similar way to lit circles, but allow for much more autonomy on the part of the kids. By creating roles within each literature circle or book club group and specific tasks for the group to accomplish during their text discussion time, teachers can. I promise to provide practical resources on the how, when, where, what of lit circles, but let me first make a case for why every k12 classroom should institute some version of literature circles. Talk about books a guide for book clubs, literature. Feb 12, 2011 classroom book clubs is a narrated slidecast that describes a fun and effective method of doing literature circles. Apr 08, 2019 its no secret that small group instruction is where its at. Anyway, what would be some good books to use for this sort of thing. So, i tried it as a whole class using the book holes. Effective literacy circles and book clubs center for the.
Training students for literature circles scholastic. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. The relationship between literature circles and student. Literature circles are a process for engaging students in reading with their peers. Without guidance, modeling and support, they arent automatically places of collaboration. While both book clubs and literature circles focus on discussion of books in small group settings, book clubs have a more loosely structured agenda for discussions and are not usually tied into literary analysis such as thematic or symbolic. A book club consists of a group of students typically 46 is manageable while reading partners are just two classmates. It would be so much better not to grade literature circle work at all. Introduction to literature circles challenged book project what are literature circles. Literature circles, book clubs, and article studies are another important structure in our balanced or comprehensive literacy instructional framework. Book club journal use with any fiction text for literature. This is the first installment in a series of seven posts with ideas and suggestions for running effective literacy circles or book clubs with students from second grade through high school.
Your job is to prepare a brief summary of todays reading. This approach is very flexible and does require students to take on roles when they meeting. Literature circles differ from other small group instructional approaches like guided reading in several ways. Literature circles encourage students to own their learning. Students choose the book they want to read and the groups are formed by the interest in that book. Smokey has authored or coauthored thirteen books on language, literacy, and education. The city of ember by jeanne duprau, sarah, plain and tall by patricia maclachlan, the westing game by ellen raskin, t. Beg, borrow, and teach literature circles and book clubs. I was in a book club once, i said, explaining how a group of friends read the same novel and then. Im also looking for a great example of book clubs such as a website as i do have several personal references for literature circles.
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