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Literature circles or book discussion groups allow students to take ownership of their learning and control their learning. Literature circles allow students to experience reading in the way that many adults do: they read a book, they come together with friends and discuss what they have read.

Literature circles fit very well in the middle or even high school curriculum. It is important to model for students what their literature circles should look like, what types of questions they should ask, how to move the discussion when it gets bogged down, etc. It is often easiest to do this when using a picture book or even a poem to model as a whole group. I like to use the book Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. The book is short enough, and interesting enough, that students are able to get into what they're being asked to do.

Choice is an important element of literature circles. There should be a variety of books for students to pick from when it comes to books available to them for literature circles. Literature circles can be done with books that are part of the curriculum (required books in your curriculum) or trade books that are thematically tied to the curriculum (for example: you could do a World War II literature circle group or a Growing-Up literature circle group). For trade books to consider, please see the young adult literature recommendations page.

As Cindy Adams at studyguide.org recommends, I like to implement literature circles later in the year, when students have had a chance to get to know each and work well in groups. I have been thinking lately, though, that literature circles might be appropriate and a nice segue after the community building activities that I do at the beginning of the year.

Literature circles turn on students being assigned roles in the discussion. Each student selects a role and the roles alternate among the students until each has done each role. At first the roles and filling out the role sheets may seem constrictive and artificial to students. However, as Harvey Daniels has often said, the roles are only there to help the students get started and to help them learn how to have a meaningful discussion about what they've read. Once students internalize the knowledge and procedures of the literature circle, then the role sheets can be abandoned, as Daniels has always maintained should be the objective.

For more information on literature circles, see the following links (each link will open a new page in your browser):

Harvey Daniel's site (often referred to as the "father" of literature circles)-all the resources you need to get started with literature circles

Literature Circle Resources Center at Seattle University-basic overview of literature circles and has information broken down by grade level

All America Reads-great introductory lesson

WebEnglishteacher-a listing of links to get you on your way with regard to literature circles

ERIC article-about literature circles and their use in the classroom

Read-Write-Think -lesson plan for getting started with literature circles

Nancy Patterson-a middle school site, with lots of resources for implementing literature circles

English Companion-Jim Burke's take on literature circles (requires Adobe Acrobat)

Study Guide. org-Cindy Adam's page about literature circles

Powerpoint presentation on literature circles

Silicon Valley Reads-a very comprehensive site, complete with role sheets; however, discusses "bookmarks" which are not fully explained. I think I can figure out what they mean, but it's not 100% clear.

Literary Lessons-comprehensive page from the classroom of Laura Candler

Eduscape-taking literature circles on-line

Education World-an article about how and why to implement literature circles

Last Updated August 4, 2007

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Literature circles or book discussion groups allow students to take ownership of their learning and control their learning. Literature circles allow students to experience reading in the way that many adults do: they read a book, they come together with friends and discuss what they have read.

Literature circles fit very well in the middle or even high school curriculum. It is important to model for students what their literature circles should look like, what types of questions they should ask, how to move the discussion when it gets bogged down, etc. It is often easiest to do this when using a picture book or even a poem to model as a whole group. I like to use the book Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. The book is short enough, and interesting enough, that students are able to get into what they're being asked to do.

Choice is an important element of literature circles. There should be a variety of books for students to pick from when it comes to books available to them for literature circles. Literature circles can be done with books that are part of the curriculum (required books in your curriculum) or trade books that are thematically tied to the curriculum (for example: you could do a World War II literature circle group or a Growing-Up literature circle group). For trade books to consider, please see the young adult literature recommendations page.

As Cindy Adams at studyguide.org recommends, I like to implement literature circles later in the year, when students have had a chance to get to know each and work well in groups. I have been thinking lately, though, that literature circles might be appropriate and a nice segue after the community building activities that I do at the beginning of the year.

Literature circles turn on students being assigned roles in the discussion. Each student selects a role and the roles alternate among the students until each has done each role. At first the roles and filling out the role sheets may seem constrictive and artificial to students. However, as Harvey Daniels has often said, the roles are only there to help the students get started and to help them learn how to have a meaningful discussion about what they've read. Once students internalize the knowledge and procedures of the literature circle, then the role sheets can be abandoned, as Daniels has always maintained should be the objective.

For more information on literature circles, see the following links (each link will open a new page in your browser):

Harvey Daniel's site (often referred to as the "father" of literature circles)-all the resources you need to get started with literature circles
Literature Circle Resources Center at Seattle University-basic overview of literature circles and has information broken down by grade level
All America Reads-great introductory lesson
WebEnglishteacher-a listing of links to get you on your way with regard to literature circles
ERIC article-about literature circles and their use in the classroom
Read-Write-Think -lesson plan for getting started with literature circles
Nancy Patterson-a middle school site, with lots of resources for implementing literature circles
English Companion-Jim Burke's take on literature circles (requires Adobe Acrobat)
Study Guide. org-Cindy Adam's page about literature circles
Powerpoint presentation on literature circles
Silicon Valley Reads-a very comprehensive site, complete with role sheets; however, discusses "bookmarks" which are not fully explained. I think I can figure out what they mean, but it's not 100% clear.
Literary Lessons-comprehensive page from the classroom of Laura Candler
Eduscape-taking literature circles on-line
Education World-an article about how and why to implement literature circles