Literature+Circles

This semester has been my first experience with Literature Circles. I remember that during my schooling, my class always read the same book at the same time. Since I have never done anything like this, I went in with an open mind, and I see that it is an effective way to motivate readers and increase comprehension skills. When introducing texts, a teacher needs to focus on picking the best passages to interest students. An effective passage should tell enough about the book, without giving too much away. Also, the passage should end with a type of cliff hanger so the students will be curious to read more about what will happen next in the text. Then, students should be placed in groups according to which book they would like to read. In our class, there was one book that had too many people interested in reading it. So, I liked that we took the large group and split it into two. We were able to talk with our group mates, and there were a few times when members of my group looked to the other group to see what their thoughts and ideas were about a certain section of the text. The most important part about this grouping, though, lies in the importance of letting students choose which book they like. If students do not have choice, they will be less likely to find interest in even beginning the book. When students enjoy the book they have chosen, a ripple effect occurs naturally; students will create conversation with others and will most likely recommend the text to another student. In //The Book Whisperer//, Donalyn Miller discusses the importance of discussion because it yields an effective reading community. She says, “I know that talking about books is vital to a reading community, and these conversations develop relationships among my students and me,” (Miller 68). So, not only do the conversations about reading contribute to the community, but they also work to develop relationships between peers and teachers. After reading Miller’s book and applying some of her ideas to Literature Circles, I see that sometimes it can be a struggle to read in different environments. I used to be frustrated with reading because I needed to be in a particular spot to settle down and read. However, I became extremely motivated with reading when I knew that I would have people to discuss the topics with. I found myself reading everywhere. Miller encourages an “I-can-read-anywhere attitude,” (Miller 63). When I introduce my students to Literature Circles, I want to reinforce that reading can be done anywhere anytime. I will tell them the various places I read, and the fact that I bring my book everywhere with me – just in case I find a spare minute or two to read a few pages. When students start reading, it is important to allow flexibility in responses to the reading. The thoughts need room to develop organically. Too many questions can create frustration and reading can quickly become a chore. I like that our class did not use response journals. Some people in my group chose to write notes, while others found it effective to write a long response paper each time we read. I, personally, wrote notes and tried to write down questions, predictions, confirmed predictions, shocking moments, key ideas for later discussion, and anything else I wanted to mention to my group or professor. Using this method, thoughts came naturally to me, and I found myself able to comprehend the novel much better because I wasn’t focused on answering questions or tedious vocabulary words. Those types of comprehension and reading strategies will be applied after learning from mini-lessons in Language & Word Study and Reading Workshop. Once immersed in the books, students will obviously need to be evaluated somehow. The evaluations could be in the form of an end of the text book report, presentation, movie, etc. However, evaluations throughout should be done by the teacher. A teacher should sit in on group discussions to hear all the contributions. A teacher could also use these independent reading books as a type of Guided Reading. If a student is reading the book and truly enjoying it, the teacher will notice and be able to evaluate the student easily. Literature Circles can fit into the 3 block framework because it is vital for students to read independently every day. So, the things that students learn in the 3 blocks can be applied to their independent reading. After students explore the different aspects of language (i.e. vocabulary, editing, how plots unfold, how characters develop, key ideas, etc.) during Block 1: Language & Word Study, they can apply the strategies and new knowledge to their independent reading books. Then, the mini-lessons from Block 2: Reading Workshop that discuss reading strategies help students find ways to read more effectively. In addition, independent reading books can be used for guided reading. The teacher can aid students in developing better reading and comprehension strategies. In Block 3: Writer’s Workshop, students develop better writing techniques. I wasn’t sure how independent reading books can be incorporated into this workshop, but there was something in //Guiding Readers and Writers// Chapter 5 that stood out to me about Writer’s Workshop. The text says, “Writing workshop provides the instructional support students need to become effective writers who can…Think about the reader (audience) while writing,” (Fountas & Pinnell 50). I think this means students who read avidly and independently develop a better perspective of how a reader reads, which then allows them to better consider their audience when writing. I have learned so much from participating in Literature Circles. I have learned to love it, and didn’t realize how much they would motivate me to love reading. The minute I finished reading //The Giver// by Lois Lowry, I picked up a new book to read. Also, I think that starting a Literature Circle type Book Club this summer will help my younger sisters(both 12) read more. They have already agreed to join my book club, and I am thrilled to start picking out books we can read. I will definitely use Literature Circles in my future classrooms. However, I think in the future I will need to read more about the details of an age-appropriate Literature Circle. I have fears of making students read more than they can handle. I look forward to using these circles as the framework for different genre units. During a Science Fiction unit, all students may not be interested in Science Fiction. So, students can pick one of the Sci-Fi books that I introduce to them. This may make it easier or more motivating to students who don’t love a certain genre. The choices and conversations that stem from Literature Circles have been an overall exciting and interesting experience. I look forward to reading more about them, and applying them to my own classroom one day. My relationship with reading has not always been positive, so if I can use these circles as a tool to help my students develop a love of reading, I will know that I am doing my job as an effective teacher.