Literature Circles
August 1, 2012
This semester students in 5C have begun working in small groups called Literature Circles as part of their Language Arts development. This process involves a number of key elements that as a teacher I believe help to stimulate student interest and participation.
There are 5 different roles or jobs used in 5C during literature circles. They are: Discussion Leader, Word Wizard, Summarizer, Story Connector and Real Life Connector.
- Student Choice - when students are allowed choice in their work they are more likely to participate fully in it.
- Small Groups - students work with no more than 5 other students and are accountable to their team members.
- Rotation of materials (new books) - new material is never far off in case a student or group does not absolutely LOVE their current text.
- Multiple jobs (student roles/assignments) - students select their job for each week working cooperatively to make sure they all rotate and complete all roles.
- Independence - 5th graders are at an important crossroads in their lives ~ not quite children, not quite adolescents ~ giving them independence is important both to challenge them and give them space to discern how they work best.
There are 5 different roles or jobs used in 5C during literature circles. They are: Discussion Leader, Word Wizard, Summarizer, Story Connector and Real Life Connector.