Literature Circles and Struggling Readers in the School Library By Annette May

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Literature Circles and Struggling Readers in
the School LibraryBy Annette May
A book holds a house of gold." Chinese Proverb
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Table of Contents

• Purpose
• What are Literature Circles?
• Lesson Objectives/Standards
• Lesson Plan Cycle
• Resources
• Conclusion

By Annette May
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Purpose

• How can librarians more effectively reach
  struggling readers?

By utilizing library class time to implement
literature circles
librarians can motivate struggling readers..

• currently in Reading Strategies and READ 180
  classes.
• Listen to the evidence
• Click on the audio icons

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What are Literature Circles?

• Students
• self select books (key for motivating
  struggling readers)
• Form small temporary groups based on book choice
  
• Form rotating group roles
• Orally discuss books in groups

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What are Literature Circles? (continued)

• Teachers
• Create specific reading skills mini lessons
• Guide student written reader responses and
  journal entries
• Coordinate so that one circle lasts three weeks
• Evaluate by observation and written journal logs
  (blogs)
• Creating a Literature Circle lesson is easy, as
  you will see..

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Lesson objectives/Standards

• Students will
• identify the main idea and details
• read aloud and read silently
• predict what will happen next in the story
• verbalize their thoughts and feelings about the
  story
• answer discussion questions in their own written
  words using blog
• identify and define 10 important vocabulary
  words and use each in a sentence
• 
  

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Objectives/Standards( continued)

• 126.12. Technology Applications (Computer
  Literacy), Grades 6-8
• Solving problems. The student uses research
  skills and electronic communication, with
  appropriate supervision, to create new knowledge.
  The student is expected to
• electronic communities as a learner, initiator,
  contributor, and teacher/mentor
• complete tasks using technological collaboration
  such as sharing information through on-line
  communications

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Objectives/Standards (continued)

• 10)  Communication. The student formats digital
  information for appropriate and effective
  communication. The student is expected to
• (A)  use productivity tools to create effective
  document files for defined audiences such as
  slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations,
  newsletters, brochures, or reports
• (11)  Communication. The student delivers the
  product electronically in a variety of media,
  with appropriate supervision. The student is
  expected to
• (B)  design and create interdisciplinary
  multimedia presentations for defined audiences
  including audio, video, text, and graphics

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Objectives/Standards (conclusion)

• Standards (library)
• http//www.txla.org/groups/tasl/
• Standard 1 Learner-Centered Teaching and
  Learning Strategies for Librarians
• Principle 1 and Principle 2.
• Standard V Learner-Centered Connections to the
  Community-Strategies for Librarians
• Principle 2.
• Standard VI Learner-Centered Information Science
  and Librarianship-Strategies for Librarians
• Principle 4 and Principle 5.

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Lesson Plan Cycle

• Materials
• 6 sets of novels favored by struggling readers
• Reading Response journal
• Dictionary, thesaurus, and computers (for class
  Blog), projector
• Transparencies of novel text for mini lessons
• Time Frame
• 2 50 min library class periods

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Lesson Plan (continued)

• Focus mini lesson 10 min.
• Give brief Book Talk
• Using book passage transparency.
• find main idea/details together
• Call on students to find in other passages
• Make predictions

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Lesson Plan (continued)

• Whole Group 15-20 min.
• Students read silently
• Apply mini lesson while reading
• Complete Reader Response journal on main
  idea/details/predicting
• Students ask for assistance as needed
• Teacher meets with individual students.

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Lesson Plan (continued)

• Small Group Independent Practice (20-25 min)
• 4-5 per group previously taught group work
  skills)
• Students with same book form groups
• Teacher Pre assigns Discussion Group Director
  role (DGD)
• Students draw for roles Summarizer, Artful
  Artist, Text Connector, Word Finder

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Lesson Plan (continued)

• Small Group Independent Practice (continued)
• Students read aloud favorite parts of the chapter
• Students will discuss thoughts and feelings
• Each writes discussion question.
• Students trade questions and then answer on
  computer Class Blog
• Write out and define 10 vocabulary words

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Lesson Plan (continued)

• Closure
• Student write reflection in RR journal about
• .what part they liked best.
• ...what they will discuss tomorrow.

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Lesson Plan (conclusion)

• Evaluation
• Written responses on Blogs
• Written responses in RR journals
• Teacher observation in groups
• Vocabulary words
• Closure reflection journal

• 2

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Resources
 

• Books and Websites
• American Library Association
• http//www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quic
  kpicks/06topten.cfm
• http//www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quic
  kpicks/quickpicksreluctant.cfm (Quick pick for
  Reluctant Readers)
• http//www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/grea
  tgraphicnovelsforteens/07topten.cfm (graphic
  novels)
• http//www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/best
  booksya/bestbooksyoung.cfm (best books for Young
  adults)
• Anderson, Max Elliott
• http//reluctantreaders.blogspot.com
• http//booksforkidsblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/cine
  matizing-novel-for-reluctant.html
• http//booksandboys.blogspot.com

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Resources (Conclusion)
Daniels, Harvey (2001) Literature Circles Voice
and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups
Literature Circles Resource Center
http//www.litcircles.org/index.html (audio
recording on this PP obtained from this website
under Books link) Walloon Institute
http//www.literaturecircles.com/
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Conclusion

• By implementing Literature Circles in the
  library, librarians can use their knowledge of
  books to motivate struggling readers.
• This classroom/library connection will serve to
  emphasize the value of our school library.
• What better way to improve reading scores and
  reach the students that need intervention the
  most?
• Literature Circles and Struggling Readers in the
  School Library The Winning Combination