What Are Literature Circles?
The following paper is an in-depth look at literature circles that I wrote in anticipation of doing this Grassroots Project. In it, I explore the usefulness of employing literature circles in the classroom and possible expansions of how they are used. I include this paper here so that anyone wishing to understand the nature of literature circles and use them will be better informed about what it is that they are doing. It is important that both teachers and students understand that literature circles is not a normal discussion group.
* I am happy to note that my ideas about the possibilities of bringing literature circles onto the internet have now been realized!
Literature
Circles: A Paper
Sitting in the
passenger side of my father's oil delivery truck as we bounced our way through
the streets of Arnold's Cove, I shouted over the roar of the big diesel engine
and explained my thoughts on the latest section of Will Anyone Search for
Danny? that I had just finished reading minutes before. My father, who has been familiar with the book for years now,
smiled and actually got excited when I mentioned the way that Ple was taunting
Ranger Peters. "That's what I
like about it too . . . I mean, back then wasn't like today -- if you shook your
fist at someone, you were ready to fight or run. It's different now though."
The conversation that followed was focused on the topic of how times have
changed, of what people consider to be tough (both then and now), and gradually,
it came back around to another point in the book that sparked yet another
conversation. Although I was not
aware of it at the time, I was participating in a kind of literature circle.
A literature circle is a special kind of reading group that has been
increasing in popularity over the past decade.
It is characterized, and differentiated from other kinds of classroom
reading groups, by a great number of elements, the most prominent of which is
the fact that it is focused entirely on the members of the group – the students.
While many would argue that all classroom activities are focused on the
students, and indeed, those people would be right in theory, out here in the
real world, we find that most classroom activities are focused on the teacher
– on his/her lecturing, leading and evaluating the students of his/her
classroom. Literature circles, on
the other hand, operate entirely on the focus and energy of the students that
form them. Perhaps the best
definition of literature circles that could be offered here comes from the
seemingly most prominent expert on literature circles, Harvey N. Daniels:
Literature
circles are small, temporary discussion groups who have
How is this kind of
activity any different from those which already take place in the classroom? –
I asked myself this very same question when I first started researching the
topic. Sure it looked a little
different in that it involved discussion roles (i.e. Discussion Director,
Literary Luminary, Illustrator, etc.) but really, how different can one kind of
reading group be from another, right? The
difference comes from the kinds of things that the circles do. Literature circles are much, much more than a simple
gathering of students for the purposes of discussing what they have read (or
have not read, as is often the case) – they involve real discussion and
interrogation of the text from a variety of contexts.
“Such conversations help students to discover, for example, how their
own ideas – of friendship, love, hate, honesty, dishonesty, hope, despair –
are similar to or different from those of others” (ELA Grades 7-9
Curriculum Guide, 119). When I think back to my own schooling experiences,
the majority of groups that I was involved in (and these were very few), were
little more than a combined effort to answer a question or a group of questions
set by our teacher about readings that seemed totally removed from anything we
found interesting. The problem was
that while we were learning how to identify elements of irony and metaphor,
etc., the entire situation seemed constructed and unnatural.
This is where literature circles get much of their power – the students
that participate in these groups are genuinely involved in the entire process of
selecting, reading, discussing and relating the items that they encounter.
Literature circles teach children to view reading as something that is
done for a purpose other than to get grades – indeed, all too often in our
system do we find that grades/marks are a commodity; that students somehow come
to believe that it is not the material they study or the skills they learn and
develop that are of importance, but that grades are the be-all end-all of
education. This is not to say that
grades are not important, not in the least, but what I mean here is that grades
ought to be seen as a reflection of ability and proficiency instead of
their purpose.
Literature circles give
students the opportunity to shed the shackles of grading schemes, bell-curves
and the like, and learn to enjoy reading on a level that I personally never
experienced until I started reading for pleasure (which I am sad to confess, did
not happen until near the end of my teens).
That is, they learn to critically analyze texts rather than to simply
read them. Just as my father and I discussed and constructed meaning from Earl
B. Pilgrim’s Will Anyone Search for Danny? in a very open and even
playful manner, citing references from the book and bringing in our own
interpretations of how certain elements from our everyday lives relate to it,
etc., so too do students partake in such rich, powerful and rewarding
discussions in literature circles – they become mature readers.
Becoming a mature reader is no simple task; it involves, for most
students, a process of breaking away from the idea of reading as an activity
that is separated from everyday life to the realization that reading can also be
done for pleasure and personal growth and for many people, it is an essential part
of everyday life. This kind of
learning is encouraged by the Foundation for the Atlantic Canada English
Language Arts Curriculum, which states that “This curriculum emphasizes
interactive learning in an environment that fosters development of the abilities
to communicate effectively and to think critically both within and beyond the
classroom (emphasis mine, 40). In
literature circles, this process is facilitated by exploration and construction
of meaning through serious interaction with each other and the text itself.
Writing on student led discussions in Book Club (another kind of
reading group that shares many of the ideals of literature circles), Susan I.
McMahon states that:
Students . . . engage in exploratory talk
reflecting “literate thinking.”
To smooth the progress
of becoming mature readers, students in literature circles are assigned discussion
roles which are designed to teach them the various ways of interpreting and
analyzing literature. Daniels lists
and provides examples of the roles that he employs in his classroom, while at
the same time making note of the fact that whereas he and his colleagues
“think of these as “generic” sets, . . . almost everyone who does
literature circles has a personalized version” (Daniels, 76).
Of these generic sets of role sheets which Daniels refers to here,
I am most interested in those which are designed for the study of (i)fiction, (ii)non-fiction,
and (iii)two special roles for jigsawing and for heterogeneous groups (the
others having to do with subjects that are not overtly relevant to
intermediate/secondary education in Newfoundland, ibid.).
These roles are only temporary – today a student may be the Literary
Luminary and locate a few special sections of the text that s/he feels ought to
be shared orally and tomorrow, s/he may be the Vocabulary Enricher and select
certain words that carry a particular denotative or even connotative importance.
The roles are designed to provide students with a way of looking at
literature from different angles and the intention/assumption is that students
will gradually internalize these roles to the point that they will be able to
discard the distracting formality of role sheets and participate in open
discussions (where, of course, they will employ all of the skills that they have
learned from assuming discussion roles in previous sessions). The point at which students are able to drop the sheets,
as it were, varies and requires close attention on the part of the teacher.
Oh, yes!
The teacher. What,
you might ask is the teacher’s role in all of this? Finally, the teacher gets the chance to get away from talking
at the class and dictating the meaning of this or that (as is most often the
case, even in so-called class-discussions) and hand the reigns of learning over
to the learners. This is not
a simple concept and most teachers who have been out in the system for a long
time will probably have a hard time accepting their role as facilitator rather
than lecturer. That is, while the
teacher may observe and even participate in group discussions, s/he may not
take charge. “The teacher’s
main job in literature circles is to not teach, at least in the
traditional sense of the term . . . the teacher’s work in literature circles
is complex, artful, and absolutely essential” (Daniels, 25).
In other words, while it is the teacher’s job to gather books, observe
and assess, it is essential that the students remain in control of the
process. This constitutes one of
the twelve main constituents or key features of literature circles as
listed by Harvey Daniels. He notes
that while not all of these elements are necessary (indeed, in certain
circumstances, changes are necessary), for the activity to be truly one of
literature circles, the majority of these elements must be present.
They are:
1.
Students choose
their own reading materials.
2.
Small temporary groups are formed, based on book choice.
3.
Different
Groups read different books.
4.
Groups
meet on a regular, predictable schedule to discuss
their reading.
5.
Kids use
written or drawn notes to guide both their reading
and discussion.
6.
Discussion
topics come from the students.
7.
Group
meetings aim to be open, natural conversations about
books,
so personal connections, digressions, and open-ended
questions are welcome.
8.
In newly
forming groups, student play a rotating assortment
of task roles.
9.
The
teacher serves as a facilitator, not a group member or
instructor.
10.
Evaluation
is by teacher observation and student self-evaluation.
11.
A spirit
of playfulness and fun pervades the room.
12.
When
books are finished, readers share with their classmates
and then new groups
form around new reading choices.
One of the most exciting things about literature circles is that there is
no segregation between the high-level and low-level readers, at least not nearly
as much as would exist in other contexts. Often
times in literature circles, teachers report that students of different levels
interact on a somewhat level playing field: “literature circles are one of the
most powerful natural structures for heterogeneous grouping . . .
the diverse learning styles accessed by the role sheets allow all kinds
of kids to shine in discussion, at least on some days” (Daniels, 180).
Indeed, it becomes clear that participation in literature circles
actually enhances the ability of slower students to become involved in
classrooms: “Most kids who are labeled as learning disabled or special ed are
actually able to do just fine with higher-order thinking – for many, it is the
lower-order operations (like decoding text on a page) that gives them trouble in
school” (ibid.).
The fact that literature circles contribute
to heterogeneity in the classroom gives rise to some very exciting
possibilities. Active and
meaningful discussion about literature is at the heart of literature circles and
regardless of reading ability, age, gender, race and a variety of other
differences that exist among children, everyone can contribute and gain
from discussions. In fact, it
quickly becomes clear that these elements actually enhance literature
circles! That is, diversity in
thought, perception, and understanding contribute to the effectiveness of any
analysis, especially one as collaborative and unique as literature circles.
Indeed, being confronted with someone else’s interpretation of a text
may change one’s own understanding of it.
Ruth H. Huehler of San Antonio, Texas writes about her adult reading
circle: “Over and over I hear members say, I didn’t think the book this
week was very interesting when I was reading it at home, but after hearing the
discussion, I thought it was the most fascinating book I had read in years”
(Kuehler, 181). As variety is
beneficial to situations where literature circles are working, this contributes
to the growing philosophy that students ought to be taught in multiage classrooms.
Literature
Circles and the Multiage Classroom
The Concept of the multiage classroom is one about which I am also very
excited.
A multiage classroom is one in which the
developmental range is wider than in a single-grade classroom . . . in [such a setting],
Literature circles and multiage classrooms share a
very similar philosophy towards education – they both, as Bingham writes,
“celebrate” diversity. Right
now, most of the study and implementation regarding multiage classrooms, like
most of the studies that I have read concerning literature circles, seems to be
centered around younger children – usually in the primary grades.
Perhaps this has something to do with the open acceptance of new things
among children, perhaps it simply means that there is little being done in the
older grades; whichever the case may be, it is clear that neither of the two
ought to be confined to the primary level.
While there are no
limits to what literature circles and multiage classrooms can do on their own,
if they are put together one can only expect great things! We have already seen
(above) that literature circles promote homogeneous classrooms, and likewise, we
find that “The multiage classroom works best as a heterogeneous group of
learners (Stone, 34). It ought to
be viewed as natural then, that in multiage classrooms, a kind of
literature circle activity actually takes place already (this comes as no
surprise, considering their natural similarity), except that here, they
are referred to as literacy groups.
The groups meet two or three times a week,
depending
Does this description sound familiar?
Indeed, I expect that the literacy groups of this teacher’s multiage
classroom may have been founded on literature circles, but include just enough
changes that they must be called something different. While this is the case however, it is obvious that with a
couple of moves into the right direction, literature circles could become an
integral part of the multiage classroom. But
what are the benefits of such a setting? Well,
beyond the benefits of the literature circle, the multiage classroom takes the
formalized notion of age-separation out of the picture.
Thus, children experience a less constructed and foreign kind of
learning where they are encouraged to think for themselves and learn together. “Autonomy is a critical issue in multiage classroom where
it is imperative that children take charge of their own learning” (Stone, 6).
Learning naturally – that is what the multiage classroom is about; and
likewise, literature circles are geared towards teaching students to become
natural, proficient readers. This
reflects the kind of theories that Australian linguist and learning theorist
Brian Cambourne puts forward in his work An
Integrated Language Arts Classroom in Action.
That is, his ideas hold that learning can be maximized in the classroom
by creating the right conditions for learning.
These conditions are immersion, demonstration, expectations,
responsibility, approximations, employment, response and engagement (Meeks, 74).
This integration is founded on the idea that if the conditions of
learning which exists in everyday, real life are brought into the
classroom, kids will be more likely to learn the material.
Both literature circles and multiage classrooms attempt to do just that
– to help kids learn the way that they are used to learning: through and with
one another.
Literature
Circles and Technology
It is a fact of
contemporary existence that technology surrounds us in our everyday lives.
We use bank machines, surf the internet, microwave our popcorn and watch
the latest graphically enhanced movies on our DVD systems.
Even now, as I sit, writing this paper, I am plodding away on my
keyboard, listening to music playing softly over the speakers connected to the
back of my Pentium computer. Even
the Foundation for the Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum has
expanded forever the definition of literacy “to encompass media and
information literacies, offering students multiple pathways to learning
through an engagement with a wide range of verbal, visual, and technological
media” (Class Handout, Education 4143 – Fall 2000).
In fact, one of the Essential Graduation Learnings outlined in the
Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation is Technological Competence.
This means that, like it or not, technology is fast becoming an essential part
of the English Language Arts classroom. What
does this mean for literature circles? Many would argue that there are many negative consequences to
including technology in the English language arts classroom – they would be
right. However, it is up to the
teacher, who is now faced with the undeniable fact that computers are here and
that students are expected to know and use them, to find ways of successfully
integrating them into his/her teaching style.
I believe that, with a little knowledge and skill, teachers of English
Language Arts can indeed incorporate technology into the classroom and make use
of them for positive gain (as opposed to allowing themselves, and therefore
their students, to become frustrated with it).
In addition, I believe that the literature circle is one area in which
computers can be very useful.
Beyond the obvious inclusion of technological media and computer
generated texts on the internet, etc., there are also many other possibilities
for technology and literature circles. One
aspect in which technology can be used to enhance literature circles is the idea
of e-mail. The Foundation for
the Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum states that
Given available technologies, the curriculum at every level should, to the fullest extent possible, include experiences which build students’ confidence and competence in using a range of information-retrieval and information processing technologies to meet their own information needs. Such experiences should involve students, for example, in . . . using e-mail [an extensive list exists here, but my focus at this point is on e-mail] (40).
Through the use of the internet and e-mail (as
well as other information exchange systems like ICQ, Alta-Vista Forums, etc.)
literature circles can transcend the boundaries of the classroom.
To be precise, students can communicate in the same kind of meaningful
ways that they do in literature circles, with students in other schools and even
with students in other countries! I
would not recommend this activity until after students have already become
accustomed to using literature circles, and even then, it is clear that this
kind of discussion group would require careful observation and therefore more
work for the teacher – but think of the possibilities!
This kind of on-line communication in the school system is not a new
concept, it is simply a new expansion of literature circles.
Indeed, Jim Greenlaw writes that students
can become involved in intercultural communication activities
Beyond e-mail exchange however, there are
other advantages to the integration of technology into literature circles.
Danylo Hawaleshka writes: “In a world where music, movies and mail have
all been digitized, it should come as no surprise that Canadian libraries have
started to lend electronic versions of their books” (Hawaleshka, 58). One of the main problems of getting literature circles
started as discussed in Daniels’ book is the difficulty in finding a good
variety of books. The digitizing of
traditional literature, while it does take something away from the
reading itself (the removal of the tangible/tactile experience of reading a good
book), offers an excellent opportunity for schools to expand their selections
without having to buy a load of heavy, expensive books.
While it is clear that eBooks (as they are called) are without a doubt
very expensive at the moment, the time will soon come when they will be
accessible to everyone at an affordable price.
I ought to note here that according to Hawaleshka’s article, one eBook
can store about ten novels. This
is only one kind of technological expansion of text however; we ought not to
forget that hypertext and other media forms are also now considered to be part
of the expanded definition of text in our curriculum, which opens them up
for interrogation in literature circles as well.
Conclusion
It is clear that literature circles represent a very exciting and
innovative method of getting students to read, discuss and love reading.
They facilitate the development of students into mature readers and teach
them how to look at texts from various different perspectives in order to
construct clear meaning. While it
is part of the job of an English language arts teacher to help students learn to
enjoy reading, literature circles helps them understand that good books, and
good ideas, ought to be shared with others.
My father and I will undoubtedly continue to discuss Will Anyone
Search for Danny? for a long time, each of us attempting to learn from and
teach one another until we are clear and satisfied on all aspects of the book.
I will conclude by quoting Don Gutteridge on his discussion of what
should be the case when one is finished with a book because this is one
point that I found lacking in all of my research – all that was said was that
when students are finished, they move on to the next book and a new literature
circle. But when are students truly
finished? Gutteridge writes:
When a reader has finished reading a whole text, he or she
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Provinces Education Foundation. Foundation
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Anne A., Peggy Dorta, Molly McClaskey, and Justine O’Keefe.
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Daniels,
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Jim. “Negotiating Cultural
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