Overview of Literature Circle Models

I've had success with all the models below, but all models haven't been successful with all groups of students. Read through the various descriptions and find something that feels right to you. Please do not try to implement all of the ideas at once or you will become overwhelmed! After you have read through the materials, you might find it helpful to print the handout Design Your Own Literature Circle Program to assist you in planning your book discussion group! By the way, all the files handouts and files listed at the bottom of the page are in PDF format. You'll need to have Adobe Acrobat installed to view and print them. If you have problems, go to my Adobe Help Page. Note: All blackline masters and worksheets described below can be located by clicking on the link or visiting the Literature Circle Blackline Masters page.

• Basic Literature Circle Model - I've discovered a flexible approach to Literature Circles that does not require the use of extensive handouts and assignment booklets. Read Getting Started With Literature Circles by Katherine Schlick Noe and Nancy J. Johnson for variations of this model. I highly recommend it! Another excellent resource is Moving Forward with Literature Circles. If you teach upper elementary, middle school, or high school, you need to get Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles by Harvey Daniels. You can find links above if you would like to purchase these books. 
• Talking Sticks Literature Circles - This is essentially the same as the Basic Literature Circle model, but students use craft sticks to equalize participation.
• Mini Literature Circles - Do you want a quick and easy introduction to Literature Circles? This method can be used with the leveled readers that come with many reading series.
• Modified Literature Circles - I have found this method to be highly effective with students who are not able to handle weekly assignments since the circle meets each day. However, it would be difficult to implement without a teacher assistant or reliable parent volunteer.
• Literature Circles with Roles - Read Harvey Daniel's book Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student Centered Classroom (see link below) to learn about this model. You can find a simple version listed below on this page, but if the model appeals to you, you would enjoy Harvey Daniel's book. Be aware that Harvey Daniels himself no longer advocates this extensive use of this model, but there are many other wonderful ideas in the book.
• Nonfiction Literature Circles - My newest addition to this collection of Lit Circle strategies is Nonfiction Literature Circles. Adding nonfiction has been the missing piece of the reading puzzle for me!
• Structured Literature Circles - The structured approach works well if you provide plenty of class time for reading and preparing assignments since it's more time-consuming than other models. It's a fairly easy model for a teacher to implement without the help of a teacher assistant, but I don't believe it to be effective with lower-achieving students. Teachers like it because of it's structure, but it's not as popular with students because of the heavy work load.

I love this model because it's a very flexible approach to Literature Circles. Here are the basic steps:

1. Choose 3 or 4 books (easy, average, and challenging) and obtain multiple copies of them.
2. Present the books to students and allow them to write their preferences in order on an index card. Use that information and your knowledge of their reading skills to create reading groups.
3. Make a response journal for each student or have them bring in a notebook for this purpose. It's fun to let the kids create their own mini response journals using the booklet pages. Duplicate the pages (double-sided) and have kids fold them in half. They can make a cover from construction paper and glue a copy of the Response Journal Prompts on the inside.
4. Students read alone, with a partner, or in small groups. Instead of me assigning a certain number of pages per week, I've been really successful with having the kids set their own daily page goals. Each day they get together for a few minutes to check on how everyone's doing and to decide how many more pages they want to read for the next day.
5. As students read, they mark discussion points in their books with sticky notes or write in response journals, and they bring their notes and questions to the meeting with them. Once a week, they write a full response in their mini journal. They use the Response Journal Prompts glued inside their covers to guide them.
6. On the Literature Circle meeting day I meet with one group at a time, or move from group to group as they meet simultaneously. At that time they read from their response journals and reference the sticky notes they've used to mark passages. Sometimes they are involved in an activity such as creating a graphic organizer or finding examples of imagery in their books. The Literature Circle Format sheet can be used to guide the discussion.
7. When a group finishes a book, they evaluate their participation by using the Literature Circle Reflection Form or some other evaluation form. I collect their journals and the forms, and I use them in assigning a grade for that round of Literature Circles.

Getting Started With Literature Circles is a terrific resource for this model. The book has a companion resource called Literature Circles Resource Guide which is very useful. In fact, the Literature Circle Reflection Form I use to evaluate my students is adapted from a form I found in this book. The resource guide also comes with a CD-Rom that contains a huge database of books which is searchable by author, title, theme, genre, etc. You can find more information at the Literature Circles Resource Center.

This model is a slight variation of basic Literature Circles. Students read their books independently for several days, completing a Response Bookmark each day. Also, throughout the week they jot down questions that they want to discuss on their Literature Circle meeting day (Fridays work well for me as a meeting day). Just before meeting with the group, the teacher posts a journal prompt and each person writes a response in their journal. Possible questions:

• What do you will predict will happen in the rest of the book? Give details to support your answer.
• What obstacles did the main character have to overcome? How did he or she overcome those obstacles?
• What fear did the main character face? How did he or she overcome his or her fear?
• Do you like the way the book ended? Why or why not?
• What advice would you give to the main character?

After students write their responses, put them in groups of 3 or 4 students. Choose a leader for each group, and give the leader a copy of the Talking Sticks Literature Circle directions. You'll need a plastic cup and 2 popsicle sticks or craft sticks for each team member. Ask the leaders to read the directions aloud so the group can follow them. The Talking Sticks feature is a discussion regulator. When a group member wants to add to the discussion, he or she holds out a stick and puts it in the cup. When they run out of sticks, they have to be quiet until everyone else uses their sticks. When that happens, the leader passes out the sticks again and the discussion continues. Note: Remind students not to tap the sticks or play with them during the meeting. The sticks stay on the table until the student wants to contribute to the discussion.

As the students meet to discuss the book, circulate through the room to observe their discussions and interactions. When each group appears to be finished, check in with them as they decide how many pages to read before the next meeting. In 5th grade, I encourage them to set their goals for about 15 to 20 pages a day. Any more than that and kids start falling behind. Reading less than 15 to 20 pages will result in boredom for most of the group. 

Are you required to use a basal reading program in your classroom? Many programs have leveled readers that can be used as a way of introducing Literature Circles. Leveled readers are thin paperback stories or nonfiction selections, and they are written on a variety of reading levels. A Mini Literature Circle can be done in one or two days depending on the time allowed. Assign 3 or 4 students to a leveled reader based on their reading level. Alternatively, allow students to browse through the selection and choose the group they want to join. If you have 6 or 7 copies of each book, split the group in half for the Literature Circle discussion since the groups seem to work best with 3 or 4 students. Give class time for students to read the leveled reader alone, with a partner, or with audio support. Then provide a Journal Prompt such as the ones described in the section above. Allow class time to write a response, then form discussion groups. Print out the Mini Literature Circle directions, and give to one person in each group who will serve as the discussion leader. Each person will need 2 popsicle sticks or craft sticks for the Talking Sticks discussion method used in this activity. As the students meet to discuss the book, circulate through the room to observe their discussions and interactions.

I've recently had to modify one of my Literature Circles to better meet the needs of my slow learners. They just couldn't keep up with the longer reading assignments and large homework packet. They invariably left their materials at home, procrastinated, and finally got left out of the meeting due to not being prepared. My new format for this group (about 1/3 of my class) requires the help of a teacher assistant, student teacher, or tutor to work best, but teachers without assistants may be able to find a way to make it work. 

In the modified format, we use easier, shorter books and do about one book per week. Boxcar Children books work well with this if you can get multiple copies. The students meet every single day with my assistant or in some cases a parent volunteer if the assistant is not available. They do some Roundrobin reading aloud for a chapter or two, and stop to discuss ideas and word meanings as needed. After the meeting, the assistant assigns a few chapters to read for homework and gives them a Response Slip. You may recognize this as the Lunch Bunch format! It's quick and easy and doesn't involve a lot of work. On the back of the slip they have to write a one or two sentence summary of the chapters they read. Then they meet again the very next day. The kids have really enjoyed this format, and they all finished their book and scored at least an 80 on the AR test. What a breakthrough!

I designed an evaluation form to use with this new type of Literature Circle since I don't get a packet of work from the students. It provides a place to record notes on participation and preparation. At the end of the week, you can assign a grade based on the scores recorded each day. I also count their AR test grade as a comprehension grade in reading. 

Literature Circles with Roles

Some students enjoy having roles within their Literature Circles. These roles rotate for each meeting. One way to use roles is to use the full Literature Packet or the more simple Literature Circles Preparation Form. Give students a copy of the Literature Circle Role Descriptions. Make one Role Finder Dial per team. Assign each person on the team one role and have them prepare their assignment as described. On the day of the meeting, all students complete their worksheet during the meeting itself. For the next meeting, turn the dial one place to see the new role assignments. Students keep rotating roles until they finish their book.

Last year I began to do Literature Circles with nonfiction books, and at first I used the same basic format as my fiction circles. Then I realized that nonfiction books are different and the meeting structure could benefit from some tweaking. First of all, I developed some Nonfiction Response Questions for their Reading Response Logs. Then I decided to allow students to read together every day since the text is generally more difficult for them. They don't do well with reading on their own when the vocabulary is so challenging. They also seem to like to talk about all the new things they are learning. So now we have what we call "reading days" and what we call "meeting days." On the reading days they simply read together and take notes on what they are reading. They may stop and discuss the material, but they shouldn't get bogged down for too long. When they finish the book, we schedule a Meeting Day. They have to write a response in their Response Log prior to the meeting. On the day of the meeting they read their responses and discuss what they thought of the book. I try to meet with each group for a few minutes, and I generally have Discussion Cards that they discuss together. I prepare a different set of question cards for each book, and the questions guide them through some of the more important points of the book. (See sample - Whales and Dolphins). Finally, they take their AR test on the book and complete the Nonfiction Reflection Form.

Description: This method is a very structured approach to Literature Circles. It does not involve roles or having teams meet simultaneously. This method requires each group to meet once a week with the teacher in a small group setting. The other students use this time to independently read and prepare for their own Literature Circle meetings. The entire process takes about a month. I give out the books during Week 1, and each group has one Literature Circle meeting a week for the next 3 weeks.

Materials: In order to best understand this method, you should print out the following files: Literature Circle Packet, Literature Circle Assignment Dates, Character Map,  Reading Response Questions, Venn Diagram, and the Story Plot Flow Map. You'll also need How to Lead a Literature Circle.

Skills to Introduce Prior to Literature Circles

Prior to implementing Literature Circles, you will want to introduce the skills that students will be expected to use in completing the Literature Packet. Use your basal reader, a class novel, or a read-aloud novel to introduce the following skills:

• Summarizing a chapter or section of a book
• Writing good discussion questions (Use the Reading Response Questions to work on this skill.)
• Answering questions in complete sentences
• Completing graphic organizers (Venn Diagram, Story Plot Flow Map, Character Map, etc.)
• Illustrating a favorite part of a story and writing a caption for it
• Choosing vocabulary words and making guesses about their meaning (based on context clues)
• Looking up words in a dictionary and choosing the definition that fits the context clues

Literature Packet Assembly:

Assemble one Literature Packet for each student by placing the pages in the order described below. Each lesson consists of the same 2 pages plus a different graphic organizer. The graphic organizers listed below are just suggestions. You can use any graphic organizers that seem appropriate for the book. This packet will last them the entire month. I run off the whole packet and staple it together. I punch 3 holes in the packet and my students put their packets in pocket folders.

• Overview page (dates and directions)
• Lesson 1: Summary/Vocabulary page, Question page, Character Map
• Lesson 2: Summary/Vocabulary page, Question page, Venn Diagram
• Lesson 3: Summary/Vocabulary page, Question page, Story Plot Map
• Illustration page

Literature Circle Steps:

1. Choose three books for which you can find multiple copies. If you have 24 students, you will need approximately 8 copies of each book, plus one of each for yourself. It's best to choose a challenging book, an average book, and an easy book to meet the needs of different students in your class.
2. Allow students to choose which book circle they would like to join. You can post a sign-up sheet or have the kids write their choices on slips of paper for you to assign. Students generally choose the level that's right for them. If a student chooses a book that's too difficult, I pull the student aside and have them read a page of the book aloud to me. If they aren't convinced, I point out that they will have to read many more pages a week than the other groups. If they still want the book, I let them give it a try. (I allow them to switch books before the first meeting date if I have enough copies.)
3. Divide each book into 3 sections, always ending at the end of a chapter. Decide which day of the week you will meet with each group. I try to keep the same day of the week for the for each group. (I generally avoid having meetings on Monday. Many children seem to forget their assignments over the weekend and come to class unprepared.) 
4. For each book, fill out one section of the Literature Circle Assignment Dates form. Duplicate 9 or 10 copies and cut them apart. The students use these as bookmarks to help remind them of their assignment dates.
5. Give each student one Literature Packet and the novel they chose. Have them transfer the meeting date information into the front of the packet in case they lose their Assignment slip. Allow some class time for silent reading and independent preparation of the first lesson (3 pages in the packet.) Explain that on the Question page, the students should write 3 of their own questions and answer them. You will give them the Teacher Question right before they sit down to have their circle meeting. (This is your chance to assess whether or not they really read the section!)
6. For each Literature Circle Meeting, follow the steps outlined in How to Lead a Literature Circle Meeting.
7. Prior to the last meeting, have students illustrate their favorite part of the book and write a caption to go with the picture. Allow them to share their illustrations during the final Literature Circle Meeting.

Management Ideas:

• Send home a letter to parents that explains your Literature Circle program. 
• Photocopy a calendar page for the month and write in all the meeting dates. Send a copy of the calendar home with each student and ask them to post it in a special location at home. Ask parents to help monitor their child's reading and preparation. Many student underestimate the time it takes to complete the packet. They think they can finish the book the night before the assignment is due and still have time to complete the entire packet.
• If a student isn't prepared for the meeting, you may want to let them participate if they have at least read the section. Then call parents immediately to ask for help in getting the student ready for the next meeting. The situation will only get worse if you don't address the problem immediately. I've found that keeping the student out of the meeting doesn't usually motivate them to get ready for the next one. Providing class time, removing a privilege or calling parents seems to work better. 
• If you have  special ed students in your class, ask the special ed teacher to help with  preparing the students for their meetings. The teacher can read the selection aloud to the students and can help them complete their packet. That way they can still participate in the discussions. Note: this is not the best Literature Circle model for struggling students. Modified Literature Circles (described above) works better.
• If you have students with low reading levels, you can let them pair with another student and take turns reading the book aloud to each other. You may even decide to allow them to help each other with their packet.
• Some books are available on tape at your public library. You may want to choose a book on tape for the low students to listen to while reading their book silently.