Teaching Tips: Literature Circles

These sites explain the benefits of using literature circles to have students discuss books. Includes tips and handouts on how to organize the groups, how to lead discussions, and how to assess student participation. Learn about the different student roles and their discussion duties. There are links to eThemes Resources on guided reading and several award winning reading lists.

Grades

Links

All America Reads: Literature Circles: Download these handouts to help students understand their assigned roles in literature circles. Teachers can also adapt the assessment forms for their own classrooms.
Literature Circles Resource Center: This site explains how literature circles work. Click on “Discussion” for good tips on leading talks about the books. Includes photographs showing what it looks like to engage students in literature circles.
Literature Circles Resource Center: Extension Projects: Here are some ideas that can be adapted for any book. Includes photographs showing students’ work. Click on the two “Projects” links for forms about planning and evaluating projects that you can print out.
LiteratureCircles.com: Explore the links at right for definitions of literature circles and read the research that shows the benefits of using them.
Education World: Literature Circles Build Excitement for Books: This article discusses the different roles for students participating in literature circles. There are also tips for how to lead and organize these groups. NOTE: The site includes ads.
Literature Circle Self-evaluation: Students can use this page to assess their contributions to literature circles.
Teacher Feature: This fifth grade teacher explains how she uses literature circles.
eThemes Resource: Teaching Tips: Guided Reading: These sites offer information about guided reading for primary and upper elementary grade levels. Read a case study, plus see how teaching strategies and tips have been implemented in different classrooms. Topics include the Four Blocks teaching method with emphasis on the guided reading and self-selected reading blocks. Also learn how to assign levels to books.
eThemes Resource: Literature: Recommended Reading for Elementary Students: This resource is a compilation of booklist web sites for elementary school students. The lists were compiled by teachers, librarians, and students. Some of the lists are divided by grade level, readability, or genre.
eThemes Resource: Literature Awards: Show Me Readers Award Nominees 2005-2006: These websites are about the books and authors nominated for the Show Me Readers Award in 2005-2006. Find out which books were nominated, and read more about the authors. Also includes activities, lesson plans, and book reviews.
eThemes Resource: Literature Awards: Mark Twain Award Nominees 2005-2006: These sites are about the Mark Twain Award nominees for 2005-2006. Includes biographies for the authors, plus some book excerpts, reviews, and activities.