Literature Circles* provide a way to combine independent reading with cooperative-group instruction.  In literature circles, small groups of students choose to read a single book in common and meet regularly to discuss it following certain rules.

Harvey Daniels (1994), in Literature circles: Voice and choice in the student-centered classroom (York, ME: Stenhouse), provides several useful suggestions as well as reproducible handouts (in both English and Spanish) to guide students in learning roles for literature circles.

Visit the Web page created  by Daniels and the Chicago-area teachers whose work inspired the book for a list of the defining characteristics of literature circles.  (Note that the page is sponsored by Stenhouse, publisher of the book.)

Some of Daniels' suggestions for running groups effectively:

1. Provide students with a wide choice of books.  Students choose groups by choosing books.
2. Provide role description sheets (examples in book pages A1-E2)
3. Have one student reading each role read the role description aloud for the whole class
4. Give a set time for reading and role assignment (20-30 minutes); students assign themselves a section of the book
5. When reading is done, have groups meet to discuss what they read
6. Visit groups unobtrusively strictly as observer, jotting down specific examples
7. Have whole-class debriefing including problems, solutions, and successes (pp. 52-53)

Check out other teachers' resources online with a search on "Literature Circles".  See, for example, the Seattle University Literature Circles Resource Center.

*Link to Saskatchewan Educational agency Web Page

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John Zbikowski, Department of Curriculum and Instruction  Comments on this web page? E-mail zbikowsj@mail.uww.edu Last updated October 10, 2000  URL: HTTP://facstaff.uww.edu/zbikowsj/litcircles.htm