I did literature circles for the first time this year and did not assign roles, though I did assign specific response questions. As I'm getting more familiar with the Literature Circles, I want to turn more of the decisions over to the kids. I'm just getting into strategy instruction, so I think next year they'll have more of the tools they need. I did find that some students lost the flow of the book by only reading so much at a time. Many wanted to read ahead. Plus, it took longer to complete the book then it might have otherwise, which I think affected some of their understanding. About how much do you have kids read between discussions, or how often do they stop to discuss? Thanks, Cindy 6th Grade, Middle School, Reading
Beverlee, I completely agree with you when you say, "Which brings me to my favorite pet peeve - when a teacher breaks apart a well-functioning group and assigns roles, etc. to teach cooperative learning!!" And, I know I'm walking on thin ice with this comment, but...I also cannot bring myself to assign literature circle roles anymore. (I'm not necessarily saying that roles are a bad thing, they just don't fit with my current schema for strategy-based book talks.) I start literature circles within the first few weeks of school. They sort of flow from the read aloud and shared reading experiences in the classroom. The discussion stems from whatever strategy is being modeled, practiced, and shared whole-group. Then, it is approximated by students in small-groups. With scaffolding and modeling by myself and peers (along with reading conferences), students start building fluency with the strategy and it begins appearing naturally in their responses to text that is read independently. As we add to our repertoire of strategies, the discussions become more and more complex. When I make decisions about instruction, I try to keep the 3 R's in mind (rigor, relevance, and respect.) I also try to think about myself as a reader. In my book clubs, I would not enjoy being told ahead of time what kind of thinking/response I had to create when I read. For me, this is not necessarily relevant and is not respectful of my right as a reader to have a genuine response to text and share it in a way that makes sense to me. I have found that kids are much the same! All kinds of sharing is "allowed" during literature circle, but if I try to give groups a springboard question based on our current focus strategy. (For example: "In your literature circle today, please begin your conversation by sharing any mental images that helped you discover something about the story, the world, or yourself as a reader.) I welcome comments/discussion regarding the value of assigned roles - I have done this every other year that I've taught. This is the first year that I've "broken the mold" and went free-style with my kids. We have all loved it! Warmly, Amy Amy Swan 3rd Grade Teacher Cedar Creek Elementary (913)780-7360 CHECK OUT OUR CLASS WEBPAGE!! http://teachers.olathe.k12.ks.us/~aswancc/ ********************************************************************** CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message is from the Olathe District Schools. The message and any attachments may be confidential or privileged and are intended only for the individual or entity identified above as the addressee. If you are not the addressee, or if this message has been addressed to you in error, you are not authorized to read, copy or distribute this message or any attachments. We ask that you please delete this message and any attachments and notify the sender by return email or by phone (913) 780-7000. _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
