Literacy+Circles

In a nutshell reading circles are a structured reading activity that allows powerful, high-level discussion and thinking to take place around stories and non-fiction texts. Many of the texts used are short stories, shorter pieces of non-fiction and extracts from novels and plays. The outcome is sophisticated book club type discussions. It is a time for students to:
 * What are Literacy Circles? **

· select, read and discuss their own texts · connect with stories, articles, novels · take responsibility as readers and group members · construct meaning together · begin to debate and challenge one another · develop interpersonal skills · develop higher order thinking skills · develop reflective and met cognitive skills

Each group member agrees to take specific responsibilities during discussion sessions. The circles meet regularly, and the discussion roles change at each meeting. When the group finishes a text, the members decide on a way to showcase their work for the rest of the class. Reading circles uses shorter texts such as short stories, extracts from longer work, and non-fiction pieces instead of novels.

“Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic response.’ You organize the structure of the circles, supervise the discussions, observe students and provide feedback on your observations. During the initial phase you may intervene briefly to provide feedback on what is working well or advise students on how to take the discussion further. For example, you might notice that students aren't building on others comments so you could intervene and ask: "Can you explain that?" "Could you give us some details?" "How do you know that?" or "Tell us more." The whole purpose of reading circles is for students to discuss the text read with their peers. Reading circles should be an arena for students to explore their ideas together. The discussions should not be controlled by an adult. Always think " who is doing the work?"
 * What is its purpose? **
 * What is the teacher's role?**

By introducing reading circles using predefined roles students are assisted in developing the initial strategies that good readers use. The model is based on the co-operative learning of Johnson & Johnson which has students take roles, set tasks, set times, and includes reflection. The roles are used in the initial stages to provide scaffolding for discussion and eventually the roles are not explicitly used. The aim is to have a purposeful discussion about the piece of text students have read. · ** Questioner ** writes questions that will lead to discussion by the group. · ** Illustrator ** uses some form of artwork to represent a significant scene or idea from the reading. · ** Passage selector ** points out interesting or important passages within the reading. · ** Word wizard ** discusses words in the text that are unusual, interesting, or difficult to understand. · ** Connector ** finds connections between the reading material and something outside the text, such as a personal experience, a topic studied in another class, or a different work of literature. This reminds me of... Text to text; text to self; text to world. · ** Summariser ** prepares a brief summary of the reading - the gist, key points, and the essence. Modeling the various roles within a small group in front of the whole class is an effective way of teaching students how those roles allow the group to function. When the students are comfortable with the group-discussion format, the formal use of roles can be discontinued.
 * Roles - at the start everyone has a job **

The most successful method is to group students heterogeneously and randomly. Students often say that they like the changing of groups and working with different classmates. The collaboration of the group can be a powerful part of the comprehension process. Once the students know what to do in reading circles the groups can be formed on the basis of choice of text.
 * How do I group students? **

Perhaps what makes the reading circle such an effective teaching approach is that it's highly adaptable. I learned early on that there are as many ways of structuring reading circles effectively as there are teachers and students eager to try. There is no recipe for using reading circles successfully. One suggestion is for teachers who try this technique to pair up with a colleague or a group of colleagues who have either used reading circles before or who are trying them for the first time in order to support each other - virtually a Professional Learning Team. Discussing successes as well as difficulties encountered with others will help teachers to be successful in using this strategy.
 * A Highly Adaptable Teaching Method **

As teachers evaluate a discussion group, they should monitor that students are not only progressing in reading and writing strategies but also in discussion etiquette; v Attending to the topic v Participating actively in the group v Asking questions v “piggybacking “ on others’ comments. v Allowing all members of the group opportunity to participate. v Disagreeing constructively. v Supporting opinions with evidence. The discussion structures and strategies listed above should be modelled and practiced wit students through focus-lessons that give students a chance to observe a group being coached in a discussion of a text, and that allow for guided practice of strategies.
 * Assessment and Evaluation Considerations **