Literature Circles, Second Edition: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups

What do we know about literature circles now that we didn't understand eight or ten years ago? What new resources and procedures can help teachers organize their classroom book clubs better? What are the most common pitfalls in implementing student-led discussion groups? And getting beyond the basics, what do mature or "advanced" literature circles look like? In this thoroughly revised and expanded guide, you will find new strategies, structures, tools, and stories that show you how to launch and manage literature circles effectively. Advanced variations are explored and include alternatives to role sheets and flexible new guidelines for their use. The second edition includes: four different models for preparing students for literature circles using response logs, sticky notes, and newly designed role sheets; dozens of variations on the basic version of student-led bookclubs; new models and procedures for primary, intermediate, and high school grades; new materials for assessing and grading literature circles; an inventory of common management problems and solutions; new scheduling patterns for group meetings and reading time; ideas for using literature circles with nonfiction texts across the curriculum; research on literature circles, including correlation with increased achievement on standardized tests; an explanation of how literature circles match with the national standards for literacy education. With detailed examples provided by twenty practicing teachers, Harvey Daniels offers practical and concrete suggestions for each aspect of book club management and proven solutions for problems that arise. Contents......Page 4 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Contributing Teachers......Page 12 1. Welcome to Literature Circles......Page 14 The literature circles boom......Page 16 Problems with literature circles......Page 23 Learning by doing......Page 28 2. A Closer Look: Literature Circles Defined......Page 30 Eleven key ingredients......Page 31 How literature circles fit in a balanced reading program......Page 40 3. Ancient History and Current Research......Page 43 Book clubs come to school......Page 44 Independent reading......Page 46 Collaborative learning......Page 47 Reader response literary criticism......Page 50 Marianne Flanagan, fifth grade......Page 53 Theresa Kubasak, third grade......Page 55 Nancy Steineke, freshmen......Page 62 5. Getting Started: Preparing and Orienting Students......Page 67 Quick training......Page 69 Training using a whole-class novel and Post-it notes......Page 70 Training using a short story, novel sets, and response logs......Page 74 Training using short stories, a novel, and role sheets......Page 84 Group size and formation......Page 89 Helping kids pick books......Page 90 Scheduling......Page 93 Setting a meeting calendar and ending date......Page 97 How many literature circles per year?......Page 98 Using time within literature circle meetings......Page 99 Book projects......Page 102 Books: quantity, quality, and levels......Page 105 Reading response logs......Page 109 Post-it notes......Page 110 Clipboards......Page 111 Role sheets......Page 112 Discarded roles......Page 118 Literature circles in primary grades......Page 146 A kindergarten model: Mary Ann Pegura......Page 149 First-grade models: Lynn Cherkasky and Norma Rocha-Cardenas......Page 150 A second-grade model: Angie Bynum......Page 154 Literature circles in kindergarten and third grade: Debbie Gurvitz......Page 155 Sara Nordlund and Melissa Woodbury......Page 159 Teresa Bond Fluth......Page 166 10. Middle and High School Applications......Page 172 Margaret Forst......Page 173 Nancy Steineke......Page 178 Sharon Weiner......Page 185 South Ocean Middle School......Page 188 Finding time for reading......Page 190 Starting your own teacher reading group......Page 192 Parents as readers......Page 194 12. Assessment: Record Keeping, Evaluation, and Grading......Page 198 Principles of constructive assessment......Page 199 Assessing kids’ growth in literature circles......Page 202 Grading literature circles......Page 208 Conferences......Page 210 A note on record keeping......Page 211 13. Nonfiction Literature Circles: Moving Across the Curriculum......Page 213 Kathy LaLuz, seventh grade......Page 219 Marline Pearson, criminology......Page 224 Judith Alford, fifth grade......Page 229 14. Troubleshooting and Problem Solving......Page 233 A typology of common problems......Page 234 Questions and concerns......Page 237 Appendix A: Literature Circle Workshops for Teachers and Parents......Page 252 Appendix B: Research on Best Practice Cluster Schools......Page 257 Appendix C: Book Lists: Literature Circle Favorites......Page 259 References......Page 263 B......Page 268 H......Page 269 L......Page 270 P......Page 271 S......Page 272 Z......Page 273

What do we know about literature circles now that we didn't understand eight or ten years ago? What new resources and procedures can help teachers organize their classroom book clubs better? What are the most common pitfalls in implementing student-led discussion groups? And getting beyond the basics, what do mature or "advanced" literature circles look like?

In this thoroughly revised and expanded guide, you will find new strategies, structures, tools, and stories that show you how to launch and manage literature circles effectively. Advanced variations are explored and include alternatives to role sheets and flexible new guidelines for their use.

The second edition includes:

• four different models for preparing students for literature circles using response logs, sticky notes, and newly designed role sheets;
• dozens of variations on the basic version of student-led bookclubs;
• new models and procedures for primary, intermediate, and high school grades;
• new materials for assessing and grading literature circles;
• an inventory of common management problems and solutions;
• new scheduling patterns for group meetings and reading time;
• ideas for using literature circles with nonfiction texts across the curriculum;
• research on literature circles, including correlation with increased achievement on standardized tests;
• an explanation of how literature circles match with the national standards for literacy education.

With detailed examples provided by twenty practicing teachers, Harvey Daniels offers practical and concrete suggestions for each aspect of book club management and proven solutions for problems that arise.

Explore the possibilities of teacher-learning communities with this inspiring book that provides both a useful framework and workable strategies that support and guide reflection, cooperation, and collaboration. The book offers everything teachers need -- from the intricacies of initiating a collaborative group to setting a purpose and encouraging widespread participation. It also supplies specific ideas for making the transition from busy teacher to open and eager learner. Each chapter focuses on a particular type of learning experience, and includes examples of how to apply said experience, suggestions for incorporating technology, and a discussion of classroom implications. This flexible resource offers various entry points and can be easily adapted to individual needs. It gives both new and experienced teachers activities to build trust and rapport, and expand the possibilities of self-directed learning This updated edition provides more strategies, structures, and tools for launching and managing literature circles effectively in K-12 classrooms, with examples from 20 practicing teachers BACK IN 1993, when I joined with twenty great teachers to write a book about literature circles, we didn't quite know what we were getting into.