Literature Response Circles
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"Learning, I propose, is primarily a social rather than an individual accomplishment. We learn from other people, not so much through conscious emulation as by "joining the club" of people we see ourselves as being like, and by being helped to engage in their activities. Usually we are not even aware that we are learning. One of the most important communities any individual can join is the 'literacy club', because membership ensures that individuals learn how to read and write, and because reading is the entrance to many other clubs." - Frank Smith |
| Ideas presented on this web page have been borrowed and modified from Harvey Daniels’ book: Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom. |
Using
Literature Response Circles (LRC’s) in the classroom is an opportunity
to encourage in students the development of some of the habits of highly
literate readers and writers. When set up properly, teachers, students,
and parents may expect to see some of the following behaviors/outcomes
in students participating in mature, authentic LRC’s:
When setting up LRC’s in the classroom, I've found it helpful to keep in mind the following guidelines:
It’s helpful to have sets of novels on
hand to provide students choices for their first LRC. If this isn’t
possible, students can form groups based on selections made from the
library or a literature text. Photocopies of short stories is yet
another option.
On the day students form their LRC’s, I
“book talk” each selection, giving students clues about the genre,
reading level, etc. I sometimes pass around copies of the books in a
basket after or before the talk to give students a chance to view the
cover, peruse the blurb on the back, and get a more in depth feel for
the novel.
The next step in the process is for
students to form their actual groups. Spend some time anticipating
grouping problems and troubleshooting beforehand to avoid scenarios
where students are left out or ostracized. I often approach more
mature, confident students and ask them if they’d be a mentor to a less
confident student by inviting them to join their group. There’s
nothing worse than being left out. A little foresight and work here
goes a long way.
Have each potential LRC group record on a
paper piece the following information: group name (optional but fun),
group member’s names, and 4 choices for a LRC book in order of
preference. When this is done, students turn their paper into the “hat”
for random selection. Because of the popularity and limited number of
some titles, it’s important to have a random selection process, one in
which students have several choices in mind, and one which is perceived
as fair by students.
As group names are called from the papers
pulled out of the hat, one member from each group comes to the
whiteboard and signs up their group members based on what’s left off
their preference list. Ideally groups get either their first or second
choice. I prepare them for the worst case scenario by reminding them
that if they didn’t get the book they wanted this time that they can
either read it on their own or select it in a future LRC.
Once groups have selected a title to read,
I make a calendar with students and plot out the next 5-10 LRC
meetings. When students have a firm idea of the dates, they get
together with their group and decide how many pages they’ll need to read
and the corresponding dates for each meeting to get through the
selection in the allotted time. For instance, students planning to
finish a 200 page novel in 5 meetings can expect to cover approximately
40 pages for each section. This translates into roughly 20 pages per
night for groups meeting on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.
Experienced LRCers take into consideration weekends, which provide more
time for reading, and other realities such as sports, work, and family
commitments to develop an optimal reading schedule tailored to their
needs. I’ve had the most success when LRC’s meet 3 times per week.
Naturally, some groups will read faster
than others. The minimum number of meetings ought to be 5, which
constitutes one LRC cycle in which each student has had a turn at every
role. I set the maximum at 10 meetings for my own sanity. For those
groups finishing early, say on the 6th meeting when most of
the class will finish on the 8th meeting, they may complete
role sheets for additional lit read out of a text book or their current
SSR book. A highly motivated group might even squeeze in another
novel. The possibilities are endless here.
Daily Meetings: Depending on the group
I’m working with, I usually build in reading and role sheet completion
time on the days when group meetings are planned. Groups have a
tendency to collapse on themselves if students aren’t reading the
selections and doing their role sheets. While the incidence of reading
is much higher with this process, there are seemingly still a few
students in every class who will struggle to complete readings and role
sheet assignments, for one reason or another. Most thoughtful, "on
task" groups will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to work through all
the role sheets i a single meeting. The Discussion Director typically
directs the meeting, often starting with the Summarizer role to remind
students of the section covered for that day’s reading. I sometimes join groups
as a “fly on the wall” participant to interject comments as an honorary
member or suggest ways to organize and improve the flow of the meeting
As a rule of thumb, though, I try to be directly involved with the
groups as little as possible. This is their meeting and group. I
monitor from afar, stepping in when needed. Most of the time I wander around the room and eavesdrop on meetings. It’s interesting how many students will choke up when they sense my presence and feel they’re not "on task" because of a digression. My comment to them when this happens is that, “Digressions are part of the process … eventually you need to pull things back in, which is the DD’s role, but have fun with this … be goofy if you want. I bet you guys can tell me exactly how you got to where you are and trace the connection to the book. This is the way real people talk about literature and movies.” In my experience, students respect this logical, straight talk. It becomes one of the reasons why they enjoy the LRC process so much, which then fuels their growth as readers. TOPStudents self and peer
evaluate on a daily basis using the LRC evaluation form. To streamline
my assessment of their assessment, I have them record their daily score
in the upper right hand of the role sheet then transfer that score to
the evaluation form. When I spot check their work at the end of each
cycle, I can easily spot gaps in their work and self assessment.
It’s possible to create performance based
group or individual assessments at the end of the novel. Some teachers
like an accountability piece such as an essay, multiple choice, or
true/false quiz to motivate students to read. I've sometimes had groups
develop a skit from a favorite scene in the book.
Alternate
Uses of the LRC Process: I’ve used the LRC roles
with all types of assignments and content. The only role that doesn’t
easily lend itself to non-fiction or tasks where text isn't directly in
front of them is the Passage Master role, but I've seen students be
successful with this role during videos. I often use LRC roles with
videos, social studies textbook, guest speakers, student presentations,
etc. It’s a great way to provide a skill oriented, low maintenance
accountability piece to facilitate discussion and keep the LRC process
fresh in students’ minds. |
