Literature Circles
Activity Objective:
Literature Circles are like Book Clubs for Kids.
The goal is to generate thoughtful discussions about what the students have read in regards to the event(s), character(s) and setting of the text. By providing the students with a routine and a structure, students develop independence and collaboration skills in order to facilitate their own discussions and their reading comprehension strategies. Literature Circle Structure:
Our literature circles work in 2 week rotations, where each student reads the same 5 books.
For 4 of the 5 books they are a part of a literature circle discussion with their table group. For every book that they read during the 2 week cycle, each student is assigned a different role (see "The Jobs"). The students are given time to read their text, and to prepare for their role in the discussion. For the 5th book, the students work with their group and the teacher in a guided reading setting. Literature Circles take place every second day. |
Grade 3 Curriculum: Big Ideas (for reading)
1. Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning
2. Recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning 3. Use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently 4. Reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading (for oral language) 1. Listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes 2. Use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes 3. Reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, andthe strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations. More on Literature Circles:
There are many different ways to approach literature circles in the classroom. The Balanced Literacy Diet website provides an example of how one teacher implements literature circles in her grade 5/6 classroom (see video below and visit www.litdiet.org).
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