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Home : 2002 : January : 7
You can accomodate many different reading levels when doing lit circles by varying the levels of books that you have for choices. For
The Cricket in Times Square by Seldan 4.9 The Trumpet of the Swan by White 4.9 Low Fifth: Now depending exactly where your students are you could pick one title from each level for them to choose from or pick two tiles from one end of the spectrum and three titles from the other end. It is easier if you have read the books, but it's not "absolutely" necessary. I really prefer to have read the books myself, though. Book Talk your choices and arrange them from easiest to hardest on your chalk rail. Have the students write their first and second choices on a ballot. Now you try and give your students their first choice, but if your most struggling student picks Dogsong as his first choice and The Good Dog as his second choice, you would probably give him The Good Dog. But you want to try and have a good mix of students, too, and you can work other ways to get the reading done. For example, I had a student who desperately wanted to be in the Harry Potter book group, but he struggled. He could not read the book himself without becoming frustrated. I allowed him to read along with the book on tape and he was able to participate in discussion and had some great insights that many of the better readers did not have. It also encouraged him to listen to the other books in the series. He is now a fantasy book fanatic and is reading/listening to The Hobbit. He is also reading on grade level now. As far as grades go, my students journal, do graphic organizers, sometimes projects related to their book -- both individually and as a group, and discussion grades. I have a rubric which makes grading discussion easier. When I listen in to the lit circle discussion I have the rubric handy with slots for each student. I can then check the box appropriate for each student for each category. Occasionally, I give a discussion prompt quiz where students write about what they read the night before. I do this before their lit circle meeting -- just to make sure they are reading. The key to lit circles is to teach the procedures thoroughly when you begin using them. Teach students how to question and discuss. Once you have "facilitated" a few times and they know what to expect, remove yourself from the circle and get out of the way. Hope that helps.
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