How To Conduct a Literature Circle

by Audrey L'Amie

A literature circle is more than a book club. Often, a book club's discussion centers on events and plot; a literature circle format promotes dicussion from varying perspectives, which provides members with a deeper understanding of the text.

Introductory meeting

1. Decide how to select books
2. Decide how to acquire books
3. Define roles
4. Schedule meeting one

Meeting one

1. Distribute books
2. Distribute reader role sheets
3. Decide how many chapters to read
4. Complete role sheets before the next meeting
5. Shedule meeting two

Meeting two

1. The Director refers to the role sheet and begins the conversation.
2. Each member contributes to the Directors comments from the perspective of their role .

   Your circle's goal is to comment and interact with each other about reading material. People may tend to take turns sharing their role notes–that is fine; in time, members will begin to debate other members remarks–a true dialogue is born.

3. Collectively decide how much more of the book is to be read for the next meeting
4. Switch roles.
   
   

Reader Roles

A literature circle contains a Director, Illustrator, Connector and Luminator. These roles serve to provide a new perspective within your literature circle–a look at the same reading material from varying angles.

Remember, reader roles serve to enrich and facilitate dialogue, so members do not have to speak only from their role--allow dicussion from any perspective.

The Director initiates literature discussion with five or six questions based on reading notes. Notes usually begin with things like, “I thought that the second paragraph was a bit vague” or “The color blue seemed to come up a lot, why do you...” or “The author seems to be taking this story to...”

The Illustrator draws a pictorial interpretation of the reading portion. There is no incorrect picture; the goal is to add to the dialogue, and a picture is simply one way to do that. You can draw the main scene, main point detail, obscure items, anything. This role is as creative as you want it to be. Have fun with it.

The Connector relates book events, moments, words, ideas, to something else: daily life, another character, another book–anything is fine. The connections (five or six) add another perspective of the story and tend to help the other members see the relationship between literature and what it says about us.

The Luminator highlights particularly complex passages and theorizes about meaning, or hidden intent.The Luminator’s comments (five or six) tend to jump-start lagging dialogue, as other members often begin to add to the initial theories. The Luminator helps highlight the need to look deeply into passages for further meaning.

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What is it?

A group reads an identical portion of a book and reviews the contents together. Often this takes place in a classroom, but if you group four people together, you have a literature circle.

Who is it for?

• Ages 8-128

Why should I?

• Promote reading for leisure
• Improve comprehension skills
• Improve writing skills
• Learn new perspectives
• Just great socializing–it is what you make it!

What do I need?

• Four students or friends or children or whoever!
• Books, one per person.
• Four sheets lined paper labeled: Illustrator, Director, Luminator, Connector
• Specific time and place to meet.

Rescources

The BookList Center (all ages)
Print role sheets-LitSite Alaska
Further Role Definition
Literature Circle Links

More Roles

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Costume Designer-Ideas for Teaching Literature

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