In the past, students often complained when I mentioned anything about reading in class. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but middle school ELA is going to have quite a bit of reading! This is where lit circles came in. They’re student-centered, collaborative, and students love them! My love of lit circles isn’t a secret. I blogged about this previously, explaining how to integrate them digitally. You can print these as well.
No matter which format you choose, if you implement them with clear expectations, you can’t go wrong. To make it incredibly self-explanatory for students, I provide step-by-step details that outline exactly what they’re to do. The group leader each week (which is also the discussion director for the week in my lit circles) follows the script. This ensures that each role is discussed in detail so that all students in the group comprehend the areas addressed.
Here are 5 of the reasons to use lit circles in the classroom:
- Lit Circles incorporate a variety of important standards that students need to be able to use. For my literature circles, main idea, supporting details, characterization, vocabulary, figurative language, and discussion questions are addressed.
- Student-Centered- Lit circles are ran by students which allows them to have some power (or let them think they do) and be less dependent on the teacher. Of course the teacher will monitor the groups while they work, but it’s also a great way to put students in charge of their learning.
- Collaborative- Part of the weekly lit circle meetings requires students to discuss each role, answer questions, etc. I always let them know that if another group member disagrees or has a response that the student didn’t consider, they can always modify their answers accordingly. This is also where I find the lit circle scripts to be most important. By following the script, each role is communicated. Proper discussions take place as well.
- Requires speaking and listening among students- These skills are often skipped over. From the moment I introduce lit circles, I repeatedly discuss that listening is key! If a group member doesn’t do this, they lose points for that week. I also model what this should look like- both how they should speak and what others should be doing when someone else is speaking. This is another reason I rely on the script. Areas are highlighted that need to be discussed. This allows room for flexibility.
- Flexibility- As the teacher, you can give students the option to pick their own books (after narrowing it down to a specific topic or theme) or you can pick books that you feel would be appropriate. There isn’t a right or wrong way to run lit circles. You as the teacher know your students best. Therefore, you organize it the way you feel would be most beneficial. Decide on the time frame that works best and use it.
Student Lit Circle Work Samples
If you’d like to check my digital lit circles out, click here. You can also print the slides if you would like to use them in printable format.
For those that have used lit circles, what works well that you’ve tried? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
