Literature Circles Resource Center  
home | site map | structure | books | discussion | written response | themed units | extension projects
 
Literature Circles Structure: 2nd - 4th Grades
Lori Scobie
North City Elementary School
Shoreline, Washington
Yearly Schedule

Sample Unit Schedule

Sample Weekly Schedule

Sample Daily Schedule

Assessment

Example Unit:
Caring for the Environment

Example Unit:
Taking Action to Care for Others

Organizational Aids
Return to Structure: Grades 4-8

Year-at-a-Glance

  • early in the year, model key components with read aloud

  •  
  • usually 3-4 rounds of literature circles per year

  •  
  • sometimes begin with whole class reading the same book (in anthology or class set of one title)

  •  
  • alternate literature circles with guided reading instruction

  •  
  • begin with all students doing the same extension & response projects -- gradually add choices
    The following calendar shows you Lori's first year of literature circles -- the books she selected and her reasons for choosing those particular books, and her teaching/learning focus:
Month
Book Selections &
Topic/Theme/Genre
Teaching/Learning 
Focus
Books Chosen Because . . .
September - October 
Developing a classroom climate in preparation for literature circles 
November - January
Whole class:  Dear Mr. Henshaw
Learning the structure of literature circles Whole class set was available
February
Three choices:  Humor books
Learning the structure of literature circles Topic interested the students and the books were available
March - April
Themed unit: Taking Action to
Care for Others
(click here for book list)
Refining literature circles
Developing conceptual understanding: What it means to care for others
Books related to theme
May
Four choices:  Biographies
(click here for book list)
Refining literature circles
Elements of biography
Books represented excellent examples of biographies
June
Wrapping up the school year

Return to top


 
Literature Circles:  Unit-at-a-Glance
  • each unit lasts about 3 weeks for reading & discussion, one week for extension project

  •  
  • sometimes tie books together with broad human theme (e.g., Taking Action to Care for Others), by author, or by genre (e.g., biographies)

  •  
  • book talk on the first day, students choose books; I try to honor student choice whenever possible

  •  
  • I aim for 4-5 students in a group

  •  
  • I help students divide up the number of pages in the book by the number of days theyíll have to read.  This often takes a few mini-lessons:  "How many days do we have available for reading?  How many pages in your book?"  "If you divide the number of pages by the number of days, how many pages will you need to read each time?"  "What makes a logical stopping place (help students see that sometimes they may need to read more or fewer pages to fit chapter ends or logical pauses in the book)?"

  •  
  • students have a special journal for each literature circle

  •  
  • 1-2 response projects in a round, tied to a focus such as character study (bookmark), sequencing (story hat), understanding main idea (main idea belt)
Return to top

Week-at-a-Glance
  • students read 4 days each week

  •  
  • we write in journals whenever we read or meet in groups

  •  
  • I give a mini-lesson each week on a reading/writing strategy and one on a procedure related to  literature circles (specific lessons come from our debriefings)

  •  
  • groups meet to discuss 1-2 times each week; all groups meet simultaneously -- I roam with a clipboard to take anecdotal notes

  •  
  • I read with most struggling readers every day to check in on how they are doing

  •  
  • if they get behind, students make up reading at silent reading time
  •     The following calendar shows a typical week during Lori's literature circle cycle:

    Literacy Block -- 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.
    Monday
    Tuesday
    Wednesday
    Thursday
    Friday
    Read

    Focus lesson on discussion procedures

    Discussion:  All groups

    Debrief discussion

    Focus lesson on reading strategy

    Read

    Writing linked to strategy lesson
     

    Journal writing

    Focus lesson on discussion

    Discussion

    Debrief discussion

    Focus lesson on reading strategy

    Read

    Journal writing

     

    Focus lesson on discussion

    Discussion

    Debrief discussion

    Journal writing

    Return to top

    Day-at-a-Glance

    Literature circles take place during my 1-hour Reading Block (usually 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.).  The exact activities for each day will vary throughout the 3-4 weeks of the literature circle cycle.  Below are three of the most common variations for each day's agenda:

    Variation A:     Read:  20 minutes
                         Write in journal:  15 minutes
                          Meet in group to discuss:  10 minutes
                          Debrief as a whole class:  10 minutes

    Variation B:     Share picture book for reading strategy mini-lesson:  20 minutes
                          Read:  20 minutes
                          Writing linked to mini-lesson:  20 minutes

    Variation C:      Meet in group to discuss:  10 minutes
                          Reflect on discussion/whole-group debrief:  15 minutes
                          Read:  20 minutes

    •     when students finish at varying times, they work on response project or independent reading
    •     I always try to debrief how things went -- that's where the literature circles mini-lessons come from
    Return to top

     
    Assessment
  • class-generated rubric for journal
  • checklist or anecdotal records for discussion.  I figure out what Iíll be looking for first (e.g., participation, questioning, and/or listening)
  • response & extension project (culminating) show understanding of book, theme, characters, etc.
  • quality work on bookmark & golden lines

  • Return to top


    Organizational Structures That Work in My Class:

  • Folders for students to keep journal entries, pocket for focus lesson work, "Golden Lines," self-evaluation sheets, project plans.

  •  
  • Bookmarks to identify books and keep notes as students read.

  •  
  • Boxes for book sets and folders for each group.  Cereal or pre-fab boxes work fine.

  •  
  • Wall postings:
  • GuidelinesDecide as a class how they will prepare for literature circle meetings, when and how reading can be made up, what makes a discussion run smoothly.  Click here for more information on helping students develop discussion guidelines.

  •  
  • Group listsA chart showing who is in which group and what pages they have decided to read.

  •  
  •  Journal promptsKeep a running list of ideas for ways to start and what to include.  Click here for ideas on using prompts in discussion; click here for ideas on using prompts in written response.
  • Return to top
    Return to Structure: Grades 4-8

     

    Folders for journal entries, with a pocket for focus lesson work,
    "Golden Lines," self-evaluation sheets, project plans

    Return to Organization


     

    Bookmark to record "Wonder Words" (words students would like to discuss in the group), and questions
    Return to Organization
     

     

    Boxes to hold each group's books and journals

    Return to Organization


     

    Class-generated Discussion Guidelines

    Return to Organization



     

    Chart:  Members of the Jackie Robinson: The Bravest Man in Baseball group

    Return to Organization


     

    Prompts for Discussion and Journals

    Return to Organization


    Literature Circles Resource Center
    © 2002 Katherine L. Schlick Noe
    School of Education
    Seattle University
    900 Broadway
    Seattle, WA 98122
    kschlnoe@seattleu.edu