1. Literature Circles
Start to Finish
Katie McKnight, Ph.D.
Katie@KatherineMcKnight.com
www.KatherineMcKnight.com
Twitter: @LiteracyWorld
Facebook: Katie McKnight Literacy

3. Here’s the Plan Today
• Some background information
about literature circles.
• Getting started with literature
circles in your classroom
• Creating and structuring mini
lessons
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4. Why Literature Circles?
• It is a translation of the adult
reading group.
• Offers a genuine and
authentic reading experience.
• Literature Circles are also
known as book clubs, and
reading groups.

5. Literature Circle
Consistent Elements
• Students choose their reading materials.
• Small Groups are formed, based on student
choice.
• Grouping is by text choices, not by
ability or other tracking.
• Groups meet on a regular schedule.

6. Literature Circle
Consistent Elements (continued)
• Different groups choose and read
different books.
• Members write notes that help
guide both their reading and their
discussion.
• Teacher-Led Mini Lessons
should be scheduled before and
after literature circle meetings.

7. Literature Circle
Consistent Elements (continued)
• The teacher does not lead any
book, but acts as a facilitator,
fellow reader, and observer.
• Personal responses, connections,
and questions are the starting
point of discussion.

8. Literature Circle
Consistent Elements (continued)
• The classroom has a spirit of
playfulness, sharing, and
collaboration.
• When books are completed, the
literature circles share highlights of
their reading through presentations,
reviews, dramatizations, book chats
and other activities.

9. Literature Circle
Consistent Elements (continued)
• New groups are formed around
new reading choices and the cycle
begins again.
• Assessment is by teacher
observation and student self-
evaluation.

10. Why Young
Adult Literature?
• http://www.adlit.org/media/mediatopics/
youngadult/

11. Mini Lessons
• All mini lessons can cover the following:
– TEAM BUILDING
– READING STRATEGIES
– LITERARY STRATEGIES

12. TEAM BUILDING
• Obstacles
• Overcoming the Obstacles
• Mini Lessons that teach social skills so that
the students can collaborate in a literature
circle.
• How do you build classroom community?

13. Reading and Literary Mini
Lessons
Structure of an
Effective Reading or Literary Mini-Lesson
A mini lesson provides direct, explicit
instruction for one specific teaching point.
The teacher engages students in strategy with
a demonstration and modeling of skill using a
think aloud. The structure of an effective
mini lesson is as follows:

14. Reading or Literary Mini Lesson
1. Connect lesson with lesson from the day
before stating what will be learned and
setting the purpose.
2. Teach the new strategy using a mentor text
and modeling with think aloud. Be very
explicit and model what proficient readers
do to comprehend text.

15. Reading Strategies
• Visualize—Making pictures of mental images
or sensory images as they read.
Student Sample from Tuck Everlasting
• Connect—The reader and experience
connection.
Student Sample from The Book Thief
• Question—Interrogating the text.
• Infer—predict, interpret, synthesize.
• Evaluate—Critique and make judgments.

16. Reading Strategies (continued)
• Analyze—Examining the author’s craft.
• Recall—Retell, summarize, and remember.
• Self Monitor—Using individual skill set to
understand and interpret the text.
Overcoming obstacles independently.

17. Sticky Notes
• We want students to listen to the
voice inside their head.
• Comments, questions, connections.
• Students record the “voice in the
their head” on sticky notes.

18. • *****Teaching Kids How to Use
Sticky Notes----see this lesson
• Teaching Student Annotation: Constructing
Meaning Through Connections
• http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/
lesson_view.asp?id=1132
• This lesson teaches students how to annotate text
and there are some excellent guides and
assessments. There are also several student
annotation samples

19. Stop and Write
• Students stop and write.
• First, they should summarize,
What I read”.
• Second, they should reflect,
What I think .
(Sample Stop and Write)

21. Literary Letters
• Reader writes letters to teacher, other
readers, or friends and relatives outside of
the classroom.
• Provides students with the opportunity to
consider their own questions, comments,
and connections with another person.
• Here’s a sample….

23. Literary Mini Lesson
• Story Cubes
• Story Trails
• Character Biographies
• Character Questionnaire
Here are some more samples…

24. Story Trails

26. Topics for Mini Lessons
• Let’s brainstorm mini lesson topics that we
want to cover in our literature circles.

27. Literature Circle Demonstration
• http://www.ohiorc.org/adlit/video/
videoClip.aspx?clipID=3&segmentID=8

28. Reading Logs (In addition to mini
lessons)
• A reading log---What is it?
• Students should write in the log every time
that they read. Emphasis is on analysis and
discussion. Avoid excessive summarizing.
• The teacher or a student peer can respond to
the reader s entries.
(Sample Reading Log Entry)

31. Literature Circle Roles
Discussion Director
creates questions to increase comprehension
asks who, what, why, when, where, how, and what if
Vocabulary Enricher
clarifies word meanings and pronunciations uses research resources
Literary Luminary
guides oral reading for a purpose
examines figurative language, parts of speech, and vivid descriptions
Checker
checks for completion of assignments
evaluates participation
helps monitor discussion for equal participation
Source: Read Write Think.org
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson19/lit-circle-
roles.pdf

32. Scheduling
• 2.5 weeks is PLENTY of time for the
students to read the assigned book.
• 5-15 minutes-introductory mini lesson
• 20-30 minutes-small group activity
• 5-15 minutes-sharing time and closing.
• About 2-4 weeks is enough per book.
• Meet about 3-6 times per 2-4 week cycle.

33. Monday General Class Expectations and Overview
Purpose of Literature Circles
Discuss Assessment and Evaluation
Discuss how to select a book
Students should complete the reading survey and book choices.
Tuesday Mini Lesson: Think Pair Share with Reading Survey
Give the students folders that will be used for their literature circles.
Discussions
Explain how to complete a quick write
Wednesday Explain how to check in and out books
Lit Circle groups should divide the book into pages for homework
Discussions
Mini Lesson: Explain the reading log and model
HW-Read
Thursday Mini Lesson: Reading Strategies: How to Fix it When I m stuck
Discussion
HW-Read
Friday Mini Lesson: Character Quote
Discussion
HW: Read

34. Beyond the Role Sheets
Literature Circles: Literature Circles:
Original Model Differentiated
• Mini Lesson Instruction
• Literature Circles Meet Emphasis
• Mini Lessons
Roles: Connector, Director, • Learning Centers
Vocabulary Enricher,
Illustrator
McKnight, K (2009). Literature
Daniels, H. (1994). Literature Circles: Circles in the Middle and High
School Classroom. National
Voice and Choice in the Student-
Centered Classroom. Stenhouse Council of Teachers of English.
Webinar presented on
Publishers: York, Maine.
November 4, 2009.

35. Literature Circle Learning Centers
• Listening Station
• Story Trails (These are story boards).
• Student Sample
• Vocabulary Detectives
• Discussion, Whatcha Think?
• Character Analysis
• Illustration Station

36. Assessment and Evaluation for
Literature Circles
• Contract
• Rubrics
• Teacher Notes from Conferencing (sample
Rubric)

38. Both of these assessment rubrics are part of the READ WRITE THINK lesson:
Girls Read: Online Literature Circles
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=970
In generations past, women met in quilting circles to share their dreams; today’s
girls share their thoughts in virtual communities. Multicultural literature with strong
female protagonists serves as the focus for e-mail exchanges and classroom
discussions in this lesson. Students select and read one of five novels presented by
the teacher, and discuss the novel in exchanges with e-mail pen pals and in
classroom literature circles. Students then participate in an online literacy
community where they can respond to questions and post reviews, allowing them to
expand their perspectives and converse with a wider audience.
This is a student self-assessment for Literature Circles:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson970/self.pdf
Here is a teacher self-assessment:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson970/teacher.pdf

39. Another variation of Literature Circles
from READ WRITE THINK
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=877
Literature Circle Roles Reframed: Reading as a Film Crew
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=877
Students interact with a range of different kinds of texts in the classroom, but
for many, films and movies are the favorite. Because of their interest in the
films, projects related to these movie texts often result in a higher level of
engagement. Capture this enthusiasm, and transfer it to reading and
literature by substituting film production roles for the traditional literature
circle roles. After reviewing film production roles—such as director, casting
director, and set designer—students work together in cooperative groups to
read and discuss a piece of literature, each assuming a film production role.

40. Response Chart for Literature Circles
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/
lesson1136/responsechart.pdf
Student Sample Response Chart for
Literature Circles
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/
lesson1136/SampleResponses.pdf

41. I also recommend
Daniels, H. & Steineke, N. (2003). Mini-Lessons for
Literature Circles. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Looking for Books?
http://www.alan-ya.org
The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents is an
independent assembly of NCTE. Founded in November
1973, ALAN is made up of teachers, authors, librarians,
publishers, teacher-educators and their students, and
others who are particularly interested in the area of
young adult literature. ALAN, which is self-governing,
holds its annual meetings during the NCTE annual
convention in November and also publishes The ALAN
Review.
The website features authors and titles for adolescent
readers. The books are reviewed monthly.

42. How to Reach Me
• Email: Katie@KatherineMcKnight.com
• Website: www.KatherineMcKnight.com
• Twitter: @literacyworld
• Facebook: Katie McKnight Literacy
For more materials and updated powerpoint, see
my blog at www.KatherineMcKnight.com
and http://goo.gl/J242X for additional
materials.
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