Below you will find a collection of resources I have used to support the development of student reading and comprehension. Many of the learning experiences are scaffolded using thinking routines adapted from the work of Ron Ritchhart and templates from Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey. Please visit the thinking routines tab to find out more about each of the routines.
LITERATURE CIRCLE
WHAT IS A LITERATURE CIRCLE? |
A reading strategy whereby small groups of learners gather to discuss a piece of literature (text) in depth. The discussion in a Literature Circle is guided by the learners response to what they have read. It provides a ways for learners to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books.
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Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Learners reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Literature circles guide learners to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic responses.
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Introducing Literature Circles
Click to download the updated version of this resource.
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As educators, it is important that we take the time to explicitly set up Literature Circles in our classrooms, so that students have a good understanding of each of the roles and how to successfully undertake each one. Another element we need to scaffold and foster is the interaction between the group. Most students will not be used to engaging in a rich and collaborative discussion about a text in this way and they therefore require modelling and practice before being expected to undertake it independently.
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Literature Circle Role Cards: **NEW**
Click image to download the NEW literature circle role cards
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Here is an example of how I have structured each role in order to scaffold and support the thinking, documentation and sharing of learning as students journey through a text as a group. Each role as a specific lens through which they examine components of the text. I utilise 5 group roles, including:
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I would recommend spending time familiarising and guiding students through these roles before asking them to undertake it independently.
Other role card examples I have created:
Here are some other examples of Literature Circle roles inspired by the work of Steph Westwood. The first document is a Year 5-6 example and the second document is a Year 2-4 example. The roles featured are:
- Director
- Literary Luminary
- Word Wizard
- Artful Artist
- Character Captain
- Clever Connector
- Summariser
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Please note that these pages contain a collection of resources and links to activities to support and enhance classroom teaching and learning. The thumbnails and activities are the property of the authors/creators and available due to their generosity in sharing their work. All sources are acknowledged on the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SOURCES page.
This website contains NSW syllabus content prepared by the NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales which is protected by Crown copyright. https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This website contains NSW syllabus content prepared by the NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the State of New South Wales which is protected by Crown copyright. https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
