Check out this website if you are interested in literature circles (just click on the blog title "Interesting Website"). I know I have spent a great deal of time writing about literature circles - I just love how everything is unfolding with my Sounder literature circle! There are helpful tips and links that are easily accessible.
Some of the tips include:
* Offer students a choice: letting students pick a book, a theme, and a project gives even the most reluctant reader a vested interest in the material.
* Don't dominate the discussion: part of the fun is seeing where the students go in the circle, therefore teachers should observe, offer feedback, and gently guide things back on track when necessary, but not micromanage.
* Encourage reflection: after the students finish their circle, have them write about what they thought of the discussion. For younger students, it can be a few sentences. For older students, it can be a stream-of-consciousness-style journal entry.
* Assign a project: many teachers have their students do projects at the end of the book discussion because this is an especially effective way for the nonverbal students to express themselves.
* Be aware of common pitfalls: students who read too far ahead and give away the ending, students who are unprepared, and discussions that go too far off track can derail a literature circle.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
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