Literature Circles...

As an avid reader myself I have become very interested in the idea of literature circles and how I can use them in my future classroom. Although I don’t remember participating in literature circles in exactly the same way they are today, I do remember loving it when we were grouped into “reading groups.” These groups were more hybrids between literature circles and readers workshops. Particularly in third grade I remember being divided into groups of about 4 or 5 students who were on the same reading level. Within our groups we would have jobs similar to those assigned in literature circles, however we were more likely to complete the different tasks as a group instead of individually. One of my favorite experiences was the class-wide assignment of reading Tuck Everlasting. We had read-alouds, group readings, group and class-wide discussions, and at the end we decided to put on a class production of the story. We were able to create all the costumes, props, scripts, and other accessories that went along with the play, and our parents came to watch the production. We even handed out tickets and served popcorn at the event! It was a really fun way to get more connected with the story and is an experience that still makes me smile when I think about it. Granted our third grade acting skills were short of Oscar-worthy, but our parents seemed to love the effort! This is one area where I feel like literature circles can sometimes fall short- I liked the culminating activity upon finishing the novel.

In Edu 255 last semester we took part in class literature circles in the traditional sense, with each student completing a different job each meeting. I definitely enjoyed the lit circle experience, and participating in one myself gave me great insight into how they can be applied. The class I am observing in (Ms. Bradley’s 2nd grade class at NRE) has just introduced literature circles and it’s been a great experience to see how they progress from the beginning. Ms. Bradley was initially a little concerned that that the students wouldn’t take so well to the whole “you’re on your own!” concept, but they seem to have flourished in their discussions, even without constant teacher intervention. Of course, occasionally a little drop-in is required on Ms. Bradley’s part just to remind the students to stick to the topic, but with a group of excitable 2nd graders this isn’t really surprising. What was especially reassuring though was the great amount of energy and positive discussion going on within the groups. Not to belittle their abilities, but I’ve been so surprised by some of the in-depth discussion I’ve heard going on within the groups! I hope my own students will make me as proud some day!