Literature Circles or Book Clubs Overview
What are Literature Circles or Book Clubs?
Literature Circles (aka Book Clubs) are small groups that meet to discuss quality literature and apply comprehension strategies. Students independently read an agreed-upon portion of the text before each literature circle meeting, and come prepared to discuss the text and their thinking with their peers. The process is similar to that of an adult reader’s book club—it cultivates a deep appreciation for literature and builds academic vocabulary while also enhancing understanding of the text through rich, literary discourse.
Interactive Read Aloud and reading partnerships during Readers’ Workshop provide many opportunities for students to practice thoughtful literary response and conversational skills. (See Interactive Read Aloud and Accountable Talk for suggestions on teaching this skill.) When students meet with peers in Literature Circles, they will use many of these same strategies for thinking, talking, listening, citing evidence, and growing conversations. When Literature Circles are new, the teacher often sits in to model and scaffold conversational moves. Ultimately, the goal is for students to do all this on their own, with little or no teacher support.
Literature Circles (aka Book Clubs) are small groups that meet to discuss quality literature and apply comprehension strategies. Students independently read an agreed-upon portion of the text before each literature circle meeting, and come prepared to discuss the text and their thinking with their peers. The process is similar to that of an adult reader’s book club—it cultivates a deep appreciation for literature and builds academic vocabulary while also enhancing understanding of the text through rich, literary discourse.
Interactive Read Aloud and reading partnerships during Readers’ Workshop provide many opportunities for students to practice thoughtful literary response and conversational skills. (See Interactive Read Aloud and Accountable Talk for suggestions on teaching this skill.) When students meet with peers in Literature Circles, they will use many of these same strategies for thinking, talking, listening, citing evidence, and growing conversations. When Literature Circles are new, the teacher often sits in to model and scaffold conversational moves. Ultimately, the goal is for students to do all this on their own, with little or no teacher support.
Getting Started with Literature Circles or Book Clubs
Option A: Small Group Lessons → Book Clubs
1. Introduce the concept of a book club to the group: I have brought you together as a group called a Book Club (or Literature Circle). A Book Club is a small group that reads and discusses their reading together. Just like we develop theories about text during Interactive Read Aloud and sometimes even in your partnerships, you will develop theories and ask questions while you read in this Book Club. Then you will share your thinking and discuss it with each other when you meet.
2. Introduce the text and facilitate a pre-reading discussion (similar to the kind the class might engage in at the beginning of an Interactive Read Aloud). Explain to the group that they will need to make a decision about how much they will read before their next meeting. (The first day Book Clubs are launched, you may want to have students read a small portion of the text and then come back as a group to discuss all within one reading workshop session. On subsequent days, they will read a larger portion of the text and launch right into discussion at the beginning of the Independent Reading time.)
3. Remind students that, when they meet as a group, they should be prepared to share a reaction, question, or idea.
4. When the group reassembles, join them and invite students to share their thinking and reactions to what they have read.
5. Play an active role as a member of the Book Club. Model how to be an active listener and thinker. Be sure to acknowledge the ideas and the thinking of all group members. Help students learn to lead the group discussion themselves.
6. Encourage students to reflect on the group’s work: What worked? What could have been better?
7. Determine the next meeting, what is to be read, and how to prepare.
8. Stay involved with the Book Club until students demonstrate that they can engage in meaningful discussions without your support. (Gradually move away from the Book Club, sitting close to—but not in—the circle as the group talks, so you can observe and take notes without participating in the actual discussion.)
9. Continue to use daily Interactive Read Aloud to model and teach comprehension strategies, active listening, and oral discourse. Remind students that they will use these same strategies in their Book Clubs.
10. This group could serve as a model for the entire class, so that other students learn what to do during Book Clubs.
Option B: Interactive Read Aloud → Partnerships → Book Clubs
The teacher begins the year with whole-class Interactive Read Aloud in which students learn Accountable Talk and active reading strategies. (See Interactive Read Aloud and Accountable Talk for suggestions on teaching these skills and strategies.) Students also work in partnerships to grow lines of thinking. As the students gain mastery, the teacher makes a decision to release them into small groups (“circles of talk”) called Book Clubs or Literature Circles. Option B is a natural next step if a class has been immersed in Interactive Read Aloud and partnership discussions. You will know the students are ready when they can lead and continue a discussion in the large group and in partnerships with little or no teacher support.
1. Introduce the concept of a book club to the group: I have brought you together as a group called a Book Club (or Literature Circle). A Book Club is a small group that reads and discusses their reading together. Just like we develop theories about text during Interactive Read Aloud and sometimes even in your partnerships, you will develop theories and ask questions while you read in this Book Club. Then you will share your thinking and discuss it with each other when you meet.
2. Introduce the text and facilitate a pre-reading discussion (similar to the kind the class might engage in at the beginning of an Interactive Read Aloud). Explain to the group that they will need to make a decision about how much they will read before their next meeting. (The first day Book Clubs are launched, you may want to have students read a small portion of the text and then come back as a group to discuss all within one reading workshop session. On subsequent days, they will read a larger portion of the text and launch right into discussion at the beginning of the Independent Reading time.)
3. Remind students that, when they meet as a group, they should be prepared to share a reaction, question, or idea.
4. When the group reassembles, join them and invite students to share their thinking and reactions to what they have read.
5. Play an active role as a member of the Book Club. Model how to be an active listener and thinker. Be sure to acknowledge the ideas and the thinking of all group members. Help students learn to lead the group discussion themselves.
6. Encourage students to reflect on the group’s work: What worked? What could have been better?
7. Determine the next meeting, what is to be read, and how to prepare.
8. Stay involved with the Book Club until students demonstrate that they can engage in meaningful discussions without your support. (Gradually move away from the Book Club, sitting close to—but not in—the circle as the group talks, so you can observe and take notes without participating in the actual discussion.)
9. Continue to use daily Interactive Read Aloud to model and teach comprehension strategies, active listening, and oral discourse. Remind students that they will use these same strategies in their Book Clubs.
10. This group could serve as a model for the entire class, so that other students learn what to do during Book Clubs.
Option B: Interactive Read Aloud → Partnerships → Book Clubs
The teacher begins the year with whole-class Interactive Read Aloud in which students learn Accountable Talk and active reading strategies. (See Interactive Read Aloud and Accountable Talk for suggestions on teaching these skills and strategies.) Students also work in partnerships to grow lines of thinking. As the students gain mastery, the teacher makes a decision to release them into small groups (“circles of talk”) called Book Clubs or Literature Circles. Option B is a natural next step if a class has been immersed in Interactive Read Aloud and partnership discussions. You will know the students are ready when they can lead and continue a discussion in the large group and in partnerships with little or no teacher support.
