Literature Circle Books

How To Assemble Your Book

Tips Video

How to Get Started

How to use Reading A-Z tools in successful Literature Circles
Literature Circles Overview

Model Lessons

Use the Model Lessons and annotated examples of Role Descriptions, Bookmarks, and Journal Pages to teach students how to perform new roles.

Nonfiction Book Models

Fiction Book Models

Assessments

Facilitating Self-Evaluations

Help students monitor their own participation in groups.
Facilitating Self-Evaluations

Observational Checklist

Assess group participation to plan re-teaching of skills or coaching.
Observational Checklist

Tips Video

Planner

Helps students stay organized and plan for each Literature Circle meeting.
Journal Cover with Reading Assignment and Role Planner

Role Tools

Use Role Descriptions, Bookmarks, and Journal Pages to help students perform their chosen roles for each reading selection.

Roles for Every Book

Skill Master Roles

Literary Roles

For annotated examples of Role Descriptions, Bookmarks and Journal pages, please see Literature Circle Tools For Teachers.

Self-Evaluation

Engages students in monitoring their own participation in groups.
Brainstorm About Group Discussions and Self-Evaluation

Tips Video

Overview

The Literature Circles Overview explains the protocols for Literature Circles in detail so that you can use Reading A-Z tools in successful Literature Circles.

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Model Lessons

One set for a fiction book and one for a nonfiction book, a Model Lesson and its annotated examples of Role Descriptions, Bookmarks, and Journal Pages help you teach students how to perform new roles.

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Assessments

Two different resources help you determine how well students are performing in literature circles. You use the Facilitating Self-Evaluation form to teach students how to monitor their own participation in groups. And you assess group participation yourself using an informal Observational Checklist so that you can plan re-teaching or coaching.

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Student Planner

The Student Planner acts as the front and back cover for any student Literature Circle Journal. It helps students stay organized and plan for each group meeting.

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Role Tools

These resources become the cornerstone of literature circles. Role Descriptions can be used for whole class instruction on new roles or to revisit a role. Students use Bookmarks to jot notes as they read, and then they apply their thinking in writing using the Journal Pages. Journal Pages become their reference tools when participating in group discussion.

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Self-Evaluation

The Self-Evaluation engages students in planning how they'll participate in groups and in monitoring that participation.

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Literature Circle Journals

Each Literature Circle Journal contains a list of eight pre-selected roles best suited for the leveled book it is associated with. These serve as a time saver for teachers and can be easily added to and subtracted from using the Journal Pages for each role based on which roles students choose for each literature circle meeting.

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Literature Circles Research

The Literature Circles White Paper shows how literature circles are an important component of any comprehensive balanced literacy instruction that embeds research-based strategies to meet the demands and rigor of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Content-area Literacy in History, Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.

About the Author

Susan K. Stewart, Ed.D.

Susan resides in Massillon, Ohio, where she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, writing, and quilting. She recently retired after 30 years in public education. She has been a classroom teacher, principal, supervisor, and curriculum consultant. Susan started instructing graduate courses in curriculum and literacy for Ashland University 17 years ago. Currently, Susan is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education at Ashland University. Susan continues to work as a consultant providing professional development focused on implementing a research-based comprehensive, balanced approach for literacy instruction in the classroom. Other professional development topics include inclusion, differentiation, conflict management, student involved assessment, discipline, and other related topics.

Susan also spends time in kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms coaching and modeling the implementation of guided reading and literacy circles. Action research in 4th through 8th grades using Reading A-Z books led to the development of the roles and protocols for successful implementation of literature circles. Through the use of protocols, defined roles, and student choice, students read and prepare for small-group discussions. Discussion groups are highly engaging and student-centered, which leads to deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and demonstration of higher-order thinking skills. Teachers observe higher completion of assigned tasks, meaningful engagement in discussions, improved grades, and fewer discipline problems.