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Two potent ideas - independent reading and cooperative learning - come together in this practical and exciting book. This unique model of literature circles was developed by a team of midwest teachers who combined local inventions with models appearing in the national professional literature. Daniels and his colleagues have been especially concerned with the issues of management, the preparation of students, and enacting the principles of classroom democracy and group dynamics. Their special contribution has been to add to literature circles the key formal elements of collaborative learning-particularly through the varied roles used to guide students in newly-formed groups. The book presents a particularly effective way of getting started, using temporary role sheets to create quick, successful implementation of student-led discussion groups. Also offered are a variety of structures and procedures for managing literature circles over the long run, strategies that solidify and deepen the contribution which this special activity can make to balance the curriculum across grade levels. Drawing on stories from twenty-two classroom teachers who work with students from kindergarten through college, this book delivers ample guidance and inspiration for teachers who want to implement literature circles for themselves.
Harvey Daniels' Literature Circles introduced tens of thousands of teachers to the power of student-led book discussions. Nancy Steineke's Reading and Writing Together showed how a teacher can nurture friendship and collaboration among young readers. Now, Daniels and Steineke team up to focus on one crucial element of the Literature Circle model; the short, teacher-directed lessons that begin, guide and follow-up every successful book club meeting. Mini-lessons are the secret to book clubs that click. Each of these forty-five short, focused, and practical lessons includes Nancy and Harvey's actual classroom language and is formatted to help busy teachers with point-by-point answers to the questions they most frequently ask. How can I: steer my students toward deeper comprehension? get kids interested in each others' ideas? make sure kids choose just-right books? help students schedule their reading and meeting time? deal with kids who don't do the reading? get kids to pay more attention to literary style and structure? help special education and ELL students to participate actively in book clubs? get kids to expand their repertoire of reading strategies? make sure groups are on-task when I'm not looking over their shoulder? introduce writing tools (including role sheets) that support student discussion'. help shy or dominating members get the right amount of "airtime?" give grades for book clubs without ruining the fun? use scientific research to justify the classroom time I spend on literature circles? Each mini-lesson spells out everything from the time and materials needed to word-by-word instructions for students. The authors even warn "what could go wrong," helping teachers to avoid predictable management problems. With abundant student examples, reproducible forms, photographs of kids in action, and recommended reading lists, Mini-lessons for Literature Circles helps you deepen student book discussions, create lifelong readers, and build a respectful classroom community.
A literature circle guide to "Walk Two Moons" for students in grades four through eight, featuring a summary of the story, information about author Sharon Creech, enrichment readings, and group discussion and journal writing prompts.
Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses is built upon the premise that all students can become active, independent, thoughtful readers. The structures and strategies in this book are proven to help students develop confidence and competence in their reading. Student engagement with text soars through participation in grand conversations with peers and reflecting on reading with thoughtful, written responses. This unique approach includes: student choice in books students reading at their own pace, thus creating flexible groups literature circles where students discuss the shared text they are reading strategies for teaching written response strategies for co-creating assessment criteria additional activities to develop and deepen comprehension book lists This new edition has been expanded to include examples and book lists for grades K to 12.
Here are the detailed strategies teachers need to introduce and use literature circles: implementation, management, organization, and assessments. The book also includes extension activities and dozens of reproducible masters. Activities are correlated to McREL s Standards.
This updated edition of a 1990 classic advocates the use of real books in a classroom context that places children's enjoyment and interpretation of literature at the center. New material includes a foreword by Shelley Harwayne and tributes to the book's influence by Stephanie Harvey, Lester Laminack, Frank Serafini, and Mary Glover. In addition to illuminating the powerful components of a literature-based reading program, the authors provide a number of assessment tools. For use with Grades 2- 6.
