[MOSAIC] Lit. circles

[Laura Klug]

I have taken a lot of time to model the talk with students and then set them free to try it with a meaty picture book so that we could reflect and work out glitches before launching into a novel. We used books by Chris Van Allsburg.
 
I also developed a type of rubric for discussions so that the class could "score" as I modeled with another teacher and they then did some group evaluationsusing the same rubric
 
Fountas and Pinnell -Guiding Readers and Writers was very helpful in developing the rubric. Thye have a chapter about Lit. circles that goes beyond merely assigning roles and gives both flexibility and structure to the lit. cirlce process.
 
Hope this helps!

________________________________

From: mosaic-bounces at literacyworkshop.org on behalf of Diane Baker
Sent: Fri 2/1/2008 5:35 PM
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Lit. circles



I'm glad that you brought this up. I am also struggling with the same thoughts. Traditionally, I have done "Lit circles" that ran like guided reading groups. This is how most of my collegues are currently running their 'circles'. Student meetings have always been scheduled by the teacher and assignments handed out by the teacher. There has also been an adult facilitator present at every meeting to monitor whether or not the students were getting what the teacher expected them to get.

After much reading and talking with some reading specialists, I am ready to relinguish control to the group. I'm trusting that my modeling and mini-lessons thus far will prove to be enough. I think that the theory of lit circles is that the text is self-selected and that the group is in charge of the direction, pace and behavior of its own members. However, I'd love some more experienced feedback on this theory.

My plan is to institute self and group reflections at the end of each meeting. Students will write reflections to themselves and to eachother regarding participation and preparation. I'm hoping that these sheets will help me to keep them on track, and keep them accountable for their own work.

I also hope to sit in on each meeting for a short period of time and listen to the 'talk'. If I notice that groups are missing strategies or concepts that I feel are important, I'll cover them during a mini-lesson the following day.
I hope this helps alittle. I'd love to hear some ideas from the group as well...

Diane Baker
Grade 5 teacher
Connecticut

________________________________

From: mosaic-bounces at literacyworkshop.org on behalf of Mikons6 at aol.com
Sent: Fri 2/1/2008 5:06 PM
To: mosaic at literacyworkshop.org
Subject: [MOSAIC] Lit. circles



Hi Everyone,
I'm the one that asked about Hatchet.  First off, thanks so much for  all of
your ideas!  Now my next question...many of you mentioned lit  circles.  I
just can't get a handle on them.  How do you organize and  maintain all of the
groups going at a different pace?  How do you make sure  that they're on task?
AND...what about those struggling readers?  I tried a lit circle  before and
felt like I didn't have control.  I wanted them to "get this"  and "get that"
but didn't know if they really did.  Am I a control freak?  lol Any ideas?
Michele



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