What I'm Reading & Teaching in October Posted by The Literary Maven at October 06, 2021 Labels: <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6rx6pz3Nf4/YV1pxSAfa-I/AAAAAAAAY68/j8SYKSeey3093pKaBnPBQPYk9XMMtPHUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit, and soon our whole class novel." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6rx6pz3Nf4/YV1pxSAfa-I/AAAAAAAAY68/j8SYKSeey3093pKaBnPBQPYk9XMMtPHUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide14.png" title="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit, and soon our whole class novel." /></a></div><br />After a choppy start (we didn't have a full five day week of school until the fourth week of school), I finally feel like I'm settling into routines with my classes. What I'm most excited about this school year is how many students are excited about reading. Independent reading is now part of our daily routine at the start of class (I struggled to commit to that this year, but the start of class is what works best for me and the flow of my lessons). I have a variety of strategies I'm using to read the excitement of reading high and expose students to books from our classroom library they might want to read next. I am also slowly working toward my goal of connecting our independent reading with grammar and writing instruction, so far with great success.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Reading in October</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">This month I finally hit my reading slow down, although in fairness, two of the books I read were 500+ pages. I read four physical books (three young adult and one middle grade) and the other five were audiobooks (all middle grade). With students settling into our independent reading routine, I'm hoping to be able to get some reading in during the school day. I'm just two books away of meeting my goal of 104 books for the year </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tCrI9XYfq8E/YV1yhIgiebI/AAAAAAAAY7I/ywQTmqicHqMGsp571ZjN7_Od62FPn68NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit," border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tCrI9XYfq8E/YV1yhIgiebI/AAAAAAAAY7I/ywQTmqicHqMGsp571ZjN7_Od62FPn68NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide15.png" title="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit," /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's what I read in September:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>1. <i>Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora</i> edited by Saraciea J. Fennell (young adult short story anthology)</div><div>2. <i>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes</i> by Suzanne Collins (young adult)</div><div>3. <i>Supernova</i> by Marissa Meyer (young adult)</div><div>4. <i>Roll With It </i>by Jamie Sumner (middle grade)</div><div>5. <i>Fighting Words </i>by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (middle grade)</div><div>6. <i>Stand Up, Yumi Chung!</i> by Jessica Kim (middle grade)</div><div>7. <i>Becoming Muhammad Ali</i> by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander (middle grade)</div><div>8. <i>I Can Make This Promise</i> by Christine Day (middle grade)</div><div>9. <i>Goldie Vance Vol. 2</i> by Hope Larson (middle grade)</div><div><br /></div><div>For this month I'm again keeping my expectations low and focusing on middle grade titles from my classroom library, so I can keep book talking with my students.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80ZanUIbOjU/YV1yYBTz_jI/AAAAAAAAY7E/kSSCczDmWK0Waji4_HhYxLSJlrNA4A5LACLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit," border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80ZanUIbOjU/YV1yYBTz_jI/AAAAAAAAY7E/kSSCczDmWK0Waji4_HhYxLSJlrNA4A5LACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide16.png" title="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit," /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what I'm hoping to read in October:</div><div>1. <i>Kingdom of Secrets</i> by Christyne Morrell (middle grade)</div><div>2. <i>The Racers: How an Outcast Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Challenged Hitler's Best</i> by Neal Bascomb (middle grade)</div><div>3. <i>Better Nate Than Ever</i> by Tim Federle (middle grade)</div><div>4. <i>Fish in a Tree</i> by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (middle grade)</div><div>5. <i>Inside Out and Back Again</i> by Thanhha Lai (middle grade)</div><div>6. <i>Everything Within And In Between</i> by Nikki Barthelmess (young adult)</div><div>7. <i>The Isle of the Lost</i> by Melissa de la Cruz (middle grade)</div><div>8. <i>Moo</i> by Sharon Creech (middle grade)</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Teaching in October</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">We are now well into our first unit of the year "Animal Intelligence." After kicking off the unit with a fun read, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Mixer-by-P-G-Wodehouse-Print-Digital-5736483?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=October%20Reading%20%26%20Teaching" target="_blank">"The Mixer" by P. G. Wodehouse</a>, students have read a series of nonfiction texts about the intelligence of animals from our <i>Collections</i> anthology: "Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Animal Spies," "Can Animals Feel and Think?", and "How Smart Are Animals?". We'll read one more short text that ties into the unit's theme, a poem titled "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop. I added this piece in so that we'd have a piece of poetry in the unit and as place to introduce the skill of theme earlier in the year. Theme is one of those higher level skills that sixth grade students (and older) struggle with. We'll revisit the skill of theme in our upcoming whole class novel <i>Pax</i> by Sara Pennypacker.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before we get into that novel, our culminating activity of our nonfiction readings will be a debate. I first tried out a debate as an alternative to writing an argumentative essay two years ago and the timing of it worked out so that our debate took place on the last two days before school closed due to coronavirus. Attendance was low and though it went well overall, students weren't at their best. I tried it again last year during virtual teaching and it was a complete success. Students loved it and asked if we could do another one! I'm looking forward to doing it in person with a full class. Students began building their public speaking skills during a short presentation connected to our reading of "Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Animal Spies."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is my fourth time teaching this unit and I am really pleased with the number of supports I've built for struggling readers and writers as well as the number of creative activities and assessments. In addition to the numerous graphic organizers I've created over the years for these readings, one of the supports I've added this year is reading comprehension checks. I use Google Forms to ask a series of basic comprehension questions related to the text we're reading. The Forms are self grading and offer students instant feedback on their understanding of key events or ideas. As far as bringing in the fun, for "The Mixer" we did a question trail, with "Animal Snoops: The Wondrous World of Animal Spies" we did mini research presentations on animals from the reading, just this past week with "How Smart Are Animals?" we created mind maps, next week with "The Fish" we'll try out one pagers, and the following week, we'll have the debate. These activities allow students to be creative in different ways and develops different skill sets (referring back to the text, research and public speaking skills, note taking, appealing visual design, and persuasion).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My next big task will be planning out our novel unit for <i>Pax</i>. Last year was my first year teaching the novel and the Pax hyperdoc developed and generously shared by teachers Nicole Beardsley, Jennifer Diaz, Heather Marshall, and Kimberlie McDonald was a life saver. I use and adapted so many of their ideas. During this unit is when my school shift from virtual learning four days a week instead of five, so I'm looking forward to doing even more with the novel this year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Each time we read a novel, I create a reading calendar that I share with students and parents. Since we'll read this as a whole class novel and it is our first novel of the year (later novels will involve choices), we do some reading together in class and students will do some of the reading on their own. I will still give students at least 10 minutes of independent reading time each day and it will be their choice whether they read <i>Pax</i> then or a novel of their choosing. Since we're in school day five days a week, my first step will be to plan out a new reading calendar of what chapters we'll be reading each day. Then I'll look at the resources I used last year to review what worked, what didn't, and where I have room to add additional lessons.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Throughout our "Animal Intelligence" unit, which includes <i>Pax</i>, students are constantly reading and about every other week, we practice the structure of writing a text dependent analysis essay. We start small, with just an introduction paragraph and one body paragraph. Much of it is done together with whole group modeling or in small groups at first to build students confidence, and by the end of <i>Pax, </i>they are ready to write their first full essay with lots of support throughout the process for me, but ultimately each student crafts their own essay. You can read more about my process for teaching text dependent analysis writing <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/02/text-dependent-analysis-essay.html" target="_blank">here</a> and find resources <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Text-Dependent-Analysis-Essay-Guide-Print-Digital-6284725?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=October%20Reading%20%26%20Teaching" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We are also working on grammar and writing skills in more personal pieces of choice writing following the ideas in Jeff Anderson's <i>Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style Into Writer's Workshop </i>and other inspiration from Linda Christensen's <i>Teaching For Joy and Justice</i> and <i>Reading, Writing, and Rising Up</i>. After starting the year with "Where I'm From" poems and a review of nouns, verbs, and adjectives, we're moving into what makes a sentence. I'm using a section of Kwame Alexander's verse novel The Crossover as a mentor text as well as a poem, "Snow Fell" by Tommy Tomlinson. we'll use these as models for our own writing piece composed of two word sentences. This will be a new assignment for me so I'm excited to see how it turns out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-OC-pNbmTE/YV15Hbz75SI/AAAAAAAAY7U/UMrpgzE5C3ImnsJxhRJjfEJOlHD778ddgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit, and soon our whole class novel." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7-OC-pNbmTE/YV15Hbz75SI/AAAAAAAAY7U/UMrpgzE5C3ImnsJxhRJjfEJOlHD778ddgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide10.png" title="After a choppy start, I'm settling into routines with my classes: independent reading, choice writing, our first unit, and soon our whole class novel." /></a></div>
More From The Blog What I'm Reading & Teaching in September Posted by The Literary Maven at September 05, 2021 Labels: <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Ta90N2x2s/YTV1U9w2E2I/AAAAAAAAYP0/gN-ToPSCIEcdjDkAq_m3s5HpTAoQYTiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_Ta90N2x2s/YTV1U9w2E2I/AAAAAAAAYP0/gN-ToPSCIEcdjDkAq_m3s5HpTAoQYTiGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide11.png" title="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />And just like that, school is back in session again. After a week of professional development (good, but still made my head want to explode. I'm back in the classroom with full classes of students for the first time in about a year and a half. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am feeling incredibly anxious about the health risks of being in a room full of students who are largely too young to be vaccinated. While, my school (and state) is mandating masks for everyone and students' seats are three feet apart, I worry that it will not be enough to prevent the kind of horror stories I'm hearing from teachers in the South and West who have been back at school for weeks now. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, I am feeling a level of teacher energy that I didn't last year with virtual and hybrid teaching. So far it seems that I have another group of really sweet sixth graders, so that makes all of this just a little easier to bear.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Reading in September</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I surprised myself with how much I read in August despite spending a week at the beach with my little ones (which equals negligible alone time) and heading back to school. I read 13 books and all but one of the books on my <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/august-lesson-plans.html" target="_blank">August TBR list</a>. I read 7 physical books (4 young adult, 2 middle grade, and 1 adult) and listened to 6 audiobooks (all middle grade. I set my goal for this year at reading 104 books (two books a week) and am just 11 books short of that goal!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's what I read in August:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://amzn.to/3jcorJd"><i>Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche</i> by Nancy Springer</a> (young adult)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <a href="https://amzn.to/3idrO3k"><i>Bright Ruined Things</i> by Samantha Cohoe</a> (young adult, available 2/15)</div><div style="text-align: left;">3.<i> </i><a href="https://amzn.to/3fmMLHb"><i>I Am Margaret Moore</i> by Hannah Capin</a> (young adult, available 3/15)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <a href="https://amzn.to/3lkua2r"><i>If This Gets Out</i> by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich</a> (young adult, available 12/7)</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://amzn.to/3jbgCDJ"><i>My Monticello</i> by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson</a> (adult, available 10/5)</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. <a href="https://amzn.to/3rRgyg7"><i>Goblin</i> by by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins</a> (middle grade graphic novel)</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://amzn.to/3gXF76S" target="_blank"><i>The False Prince</i> by Jennifer Nielsen</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">8. <a href="https://amzn.to/3mUiGn0" target="_blank"><i>The Runaway King</i> by Jennifer Nielsen</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. <a href="https://amzn.to/3BGUF6P" target="_blank"><i>The Wild Robot Escapes</i> by Peter Brown</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">10. <a href="https://amzn.to/3kSncji" target="_blank"><i>Rez Dogs</i> by Joseph Bruchac</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">11. <a href="https://amzn.to/3BCOTDl" target="_blank"><i>Million Dollar Throw</i> by Mike Lupica</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">12. <a href="https://amzn.to/3DHHoNp" target="_blank"><i>Raymie Nightingale</i> by Kate DiCamillo</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">13. <a href="https://amzn.to/3kNJ53f" target="_blank"><i>Towers Falling</i> by Jewell Parker Rhodes</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsKnD3GmKVw/YTVwZuU4YKI/AAAAAAAAYPY/JU97B7jEYDcGI6DntAho6wp1s6p1XOO3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsKnD3GmKVw/YTVwZuU4YKI/AAAAAAAAYPY/JU97B7jEYDcGI6DntAho6wp1s6p1XOO3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide12.png" title="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm again going to set my expectations low for September because I can't see myself averaging 12 books during back to school season or during the school year at all, but I have continued to surprise myself all year so who really knows?! Since I am back to school, I'll be reading even more middle grade books to be able to make recommendations to my students.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's what I'm hoping to read in September:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://amzn.to/3yjNYXi"><i>Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora</i> edited by Saraciea J. Fennell</a> (young adult short story anthology, available 9/14)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <a href="https://amzn.to/3yIhyoO" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes</i> by Suzanne Collins</a> (young adult)</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. <a href="https://amzn.to/3DMPF2m" target="_blank"><i>Supernova</i> by Marissa Meyer</a> (young adult)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <a href="https://amzn.to/3gYzIwC" target="_blank"><i>Roll With It</i> by Jamie Sumner</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3BIkS5h" target="_blank">Fighting Words</a></i><a href="https://amzn.to/3BIkS5h"> by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">6.<a href="https://amzn.to/3zKaclQ" target="_blank"> <i>Stand Up, Yumi Chung!</i> by Jessica Kim</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://amzn.to/2WVmlGp" target="_blank"><i>Kingdom of Secrets </i>by Christyne Morrell</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="text-align: left;">8. <a href="https://amzn.to/38GHPcx" target="_blank"><i>The Devil's Highway</i> by Luis Alberto Urrea</a> (adult, nonfiction)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W3ECv_4--tw/YTVwgwxNbXI/AAAAAAAAYPc/f21khMqiot4oyq3AjwynK7T4K0bygP5WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W3ECv_4--tw/YTVwgwxNbXI/AAAAAAAAYPc/f21khMqiot4oyq3AjwynK7T4K0bygP5WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide13.png" title="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Teaching in September</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first week of school has already whizzed by. Since I'm starting the year with students in my classroom with access to my classroom library, getting my students matched up with books so we could start our independent reading routine was really important to me. I used some activities from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Back-to-School-Activities-Print-Digital-2515270?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Teaching%20in%20Sept" target="_blank">back to school stations</a> (read about them <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2015/07/the-literary-maven-goes-back-to-school.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and while some of my favorite ways to get hands in the books of my students (read about them <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2020/07/first-day-back-to-school-stations.html" target="_blank">here</a>) wouldn't work this year because of Covid restrictions, after three days, all of my students had an independent reading book. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I pulled a chapter from our summer reading book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3n4zNT0" target="_blank"><i>Look Both Ways</i> by Jason Reynolds</a>, so we could focus on the idea of identity and we are just about to write our first draft of our "Where I'm From" poems, in imitation of <a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html" target="_blank">the original by George Ella Lyon</a>. These activities introduce students to reading and writing in my classroom, but also help us to continue to get to know each other.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next week we will dip our toes into our first unit of the year, "Animal Intelligence." We use <i>Collections</i> as our textbook, and while this isn't the first unit in the anthology, I like to start with it because animals is such a high interest topic. Our first read will be <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Mixer-by-P-G-Wodehouse-Print-Digital-5736483?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Teaching%20in%20Sept" target="_blank">"The Mixer" by P. G. Wodehouse</a>, a humorous short story narrated by a dog that challenges my students, but they always end up loving. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then we'll move into some nonfiction pieces that dive into animals' abilities to think and even experience emotions. Before the month is over, students will give their first presentation (just a few slides long) about an animal spy. I'm still working out what group work will look like with this year's safety precautions, but hopefully students will be able to work in pairs for the presentation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Note: </i>The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tmA_UgyWgM/YTV1g0ujAGI/AAAAAAAAYP4/lJdioJXhZg48QNaLRiBe-GJvvUvNWLdzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7tmA_UgyWgM/YTV1g0ujAGI/AAAAAAAAYP4/lJdioJXhZg48QNaLRiBe-GJvvUvNWLdzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide9.png" title="I'm back to school, getting to know my students, and getting books in their hands. Read on for what I'll be teaching and reading in September." /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Literature Circles: Skill Focused Activities Posted by The Literary Maven at August 06, 2021 Labels: literature circles <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAWWLDba0ns/YQ1Ps1DJ_5I/AAAAAAAAXlY/RFP5X6wsYbwCpWc3IECeu08Q_OBAoVjsACLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAWWLDba0ns/YQ1Ps1DJ_5I/AAAAAAAAXlY/RFP5X6wsYbwCpWc3IECeu08Q_OBAoVjsACLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide6.png" title="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." /></a></div><br />Literature circles are not just about reading and discussing in <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/07/literare-circle-discussions-student-led.html" target="_blank">student led groups</a>, <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circle-discussions-teacher-led.html" target="_blank">teacher led groups</a>, or <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circles-online-discussions.html" target="_blank">online</a>. They are also an opportunity to review old skills and introduce new ones. Opting to use mostly skill based activities (i.e activities that focus on conflict or character) rather than text based activities (i.e. activities that are specific to a certain book) allows all students to engage in the same work regardless of what book they are reading. This approach also means much less work for you as the teacher.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my most recent go with literature circles, we focused on conflict, character, and point of view. I wanted to do a review of plot structure at the end of our literature circle unit, but just ran out of time because of the number of snow days. You could also focus on setting and mood, the author's use of language/their writing style, theme, and depending on the text, irony or suspense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Introducing or Reviewing Literary Elements</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">For each skills, I begin with an introductory lesson on NearPod. This was a new tech tool for me this year, but is a great way to engage students virtually and in person. The literary elements we focused on during this literature circle unit were all ones I taught earlier in the year, so these introductory lessons included a quick refresher video, key terms and definitions, and then a variety of practice activities. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">NearPod has different types of activities built in like matching, fill in the blank, quiz questions, and a gamified quiz called "Time to Climb." There is also a "Draw It" feature that can be used for drawing, but also for annotating text.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Writing About Reading</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">After this reintroduction lesson, students would be assigned a skill based writing assignment that would ask them to apply their knowledge of a literary element to their text, cite text evidence, and then synthesize their ideas in a paragraph. Students might be asked to identify character traits, give evidence from the text of those traits and then put it all together in a paragraph. These short, skill focused writing assignments allow students to build up the structure and stamina needed for the text dependent analysis writing they'll see later in the year during state testing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Creative Skill-Based Assignments</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Following this writing, students apply their knowledge of conflict, character, or point of view to their text again but in a more creative way like creating a character web to show relationships between characters or reflecting on an important event from their novel as they wrote a postcard from one character to another. During these types of assignments (I call them mini-projects), I allow students reading the same book to brainstorm together, but each student submits their own assignment. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Brainstorming in a group is a support for students who may not have read as much as others or struggle with reading comprehension. If a student has not been engaged with the text, hearing from students who are engaged in the text may help to draw them back into reading the text. Because students are each submitting their own assignment, there is still accountability for all students. After students have finished brainstorming, I allow them to work with any students in the class, regardless of what book they are reading. This prevents "copying" and even if students have read different books, they can still ensure that they are following the directions for the assignment and including all of the required elements. I often have them do a quick peer check before turning in their work.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tried And True Activities</b></div>One of the first activities I do with students is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Web-Activity-For-Any-Text-Print-Digital-7067445?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Skill%20Focused%20Activities" target="_blank">character web</a>, which can be completed at any point in a book, but I like to do once students have met all of the most important characters and have started to get to know their personalities. This is a great assignment to help reinforce their knowledge of the characters and keep track of who is who. Students brainstorm major characters, their relationships with each other, and symbols to represent each character. Then students create a web, representing the characters with those symbols and connecting characters with relationships.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lTNKzgKM1DI/YRRvak_rn8I/AAAAAAAAXrY/kwKkUDa0sEMAhxavs7iGewlvTcEoV9-ngCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lTNKzgKM1DI/YRRvak_rn8I/AAAAAAAAXrY/kwKkUDa0sEMAhxavs7iGewlvTcEoV9-ngCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide10.png" title="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." /></a></div><div><br />Another activity I frequently use during literature circles is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Conflict-Map-Activity-For-Any-Text-Print-Digital-7067545?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Skill%20Focused%20Activities" target="_blank">conflict map</a>. Like the character web, it can be completed at any point in a book, but I make sure students have read enough so that a number of conflicts have begun to develop. This is a great assignment to help reinforce the central conflict in a text and help students to understand how that problem moves the plot forward. Students brainstorm examples of different types of conflict, discuss which is the central one, and then display that information along with text evidence in their conflict map.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78nu-DTr6bw/YRRvinpYZAI/AAAAAAAAXrc/wNtWF2yEaeM2KemOndbT4o6ZBd7_3zfOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78nu-DTr6bw/YRRvinpYZAI/AAAAAAAAXrc/wNtWF2yEaeM2KemOndbT4o6ZBd7_3zfOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide11.png" title="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." /></a></div><br />My favorite activity to do with students is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Point-of-View-Postcard-Activity-for-Any-Text-Print-Digital-2358679?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Skill%20Focused%20Activities" target="_blank">point of view postcard</a>. Like the other activities, this mini-project can be completed at any point in a book, but students should have read enough that several important events have already occurred and students have started to get to know characters’ personalities. This is a great assignment to help reinforce their knowledge of the plot, dig into what characters are thinking and feeling, and discuss the difference between point of view and perspective. Students will brainstorm important character and events, illustrate a key event, and write from a character's point of view reflecting on that event. I love reading what students come up with!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INa5Cur9EOI/YRRvqI6ZB7I/AAAAAAAAXrg/aXERIDMxdMIxMdyRmd0WG6UeLwFcjwW6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INa5Cur9EOI/YRRvqI6ZB7I/AAAAAAAAXrg/aXERIDMxdMIxMdyRmd0WG6UeLwFcjwW6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide12.png" title="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." /></a></div><div><br /><div>You can find all of my literature circle resources <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Literary-Maven/Category/Literature-Circles-Book-Clubs-549957?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Skill%20Focused%20Activities" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kHdtdo0dF0/YQ1P2JeinZI/AAAAAAAAXlc/koXx--qfVmUcIvzxvM2HpWmb59y5mPTNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide29.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kHdtdo0dF0/YQ1P2JeinZI/AAAAAAAAXlc/koXx--qfVmUcIvzxvM2HpWmb59y5mPTNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide29.png" title="Literature circles are about reading and discussing, but also an opportunity to review and introduce skills through focused writing and activities." /></a></div><div><br /></div></div>
Literature Circles: Online Discussions Posted by The Literary Maven at August 06, 2021 Labels: literature circles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGr1Z0xYn_o/YQ1EPw7BqlI/AAAAAAAAXlI/XTgbpJhaIA8ex3LU2A5YAkqVzgV4iB1pgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Students practice providing text evidence to support their ideas and respectfully responding to others in online literature circle discussions." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGr1Z0xYn_o/YQ1EPw7BqlI/AAAAAAAAXlI/XTgbpJhaIA8ex3LU2A5YAkqVzgV4iB1pgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide5.png" title="Students practice providing text evidence to support their ideas and respectfully responding to others in online literature circle discussions." /></a></div><br />While I am meeting with literature circle groups for <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">teacher led discussions</a>, the students not meeting <br />with me participate in their online discussion groups. These "discussions" are written, rather than oral, and take place in a shared Google Doc, to which all students in the group have edit access. <div><br /></div><div>These <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Online-Discussions-Digital-Only-7281939?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Online%20Discussions" target="_blank">online discussion</a> are not just busy work to keep students quiet and occupied while I meeting with other students. Just like our live discussions, these online ones allow students to practice providing text evidence to support their ideas and how to respectfully agree or disagree with other students' ideas.<br /><br /><b>The Benefits of Online Discussions<br /></b><div>Students spend a lot of time with their in class book group, discussing and working on activities, so it is nice to be able to mix things up in the online groupings. These online discussion groupings can include students in other sections or classes who are reading the same book since the discussion is not happening live. I worry less about personality conflicts in these groupings than I do for the in person groupings because all of the discussion happens on paper.<br /><br />Having these online conversations in addition to the live ones creates a sense of connectedness across my classes and even sparks conversation between students outside of class. There's few greater joys for an ELA teacher than hearing students discuss what they are reading in the halls, at lunch, or on the walk back from recess.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides allowing students to talk about their book with students outside of their class (you could even do this with another school!), these online discussions create a space for introverted students who don't feel as comfortable speaking during live discussions. There are a variety of reasons why a student may not want or be able to participate orally, and these online discussions can be used as a replacement grade if needed.<br /><br /><b>How It Works</b><br />The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Online-Discussions-Digital-Only-7281939?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Online%20Discussions" target="_blank">online discussions</a> are a two day (minimum) process and those two days do not have to occur back to back. On day one of the online discussions, students choose a number of the questions included on the shared Google Doc to which to respond. I usually offer five questions and ask students to answer three. This is the equivalent of the "pass" I allow in my teacher led discussions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the questions I include are general, like "What are three of the main character's most important traits?", and often connect to the skill we are focused on that week in class. The rest of the questions are text specific, like "How did Max react when his father appeared in his bedroom on Christmas Eve? Why did he react that way?". Both types of questions require students to provide text evidence to support their responses.<br /><br />On day two of the online discussions, students respond to their peers' answers to the questions. I include a set of sentence frames to help them generate meaningful responses and expect them to include text evidence in these responses as well. Students use the comment tool in Google Docs to respond to their peers' answers. Students can respond directly to a student's answer from the previous class or another comment that another student has left. In this way, they are building up the same "listening" skills that we are practicing in live discussions.<br /><br /><b>Preventing Technology Mishaps</b></div><div>When we use shared Google Docs in this way during literature circles, it is not my students first time doing so. We frequently work in shared Docs or Slides throughout the year in a variety of collaborative structures. They know that anything they write in a shared Doc can be seen by both me and their other group members. They are also aware of how the revision history works and generally there are few problems with students erasing others' answers to questions or writing anything inappropriate.<br /><br />However, students are children and these things do happen. When they do, there isn't anything the revision history can't reveal. If something gets deleted, I go back into the revision history and then copy and paste the deleted work into the most current version of the Doc (restoring the Doc would erase everyone else's work). If something inappropriate is written, I go back in the revision history to identify who wrote it and depending on the level of egregiousness, I can take a screenshot of what was written and by whom. <br /><br />As a preventative measure I do a quick review of these shared Docs at the end of each class period. I give reminders about following the directions ("don't forget your name next to your answer" and "make sure you've answered three questions") and shout outs to students who followed the directions and wrote excellent answers supported by text evidence. While doing this, I am also scouting out any potential issues that need to be resolved before the next class period accesses the shared Docs.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>You can find all of my resources for literature circles, including these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Online-Discussions-Digital-Only-7281939?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Online%20Discussions" target="_blank">online discussions</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Literary-Maven/Category/Literature-Circles-Book-Clubs-549957?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Online%20Discussions" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Read on for other <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circle-activities.html" target="_blank">collaborative activities</a> my students engage in during literature circles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6oPJb4S8ad0/YQ1EdLDNDlI/AAAAAAAAXlM/yPvH6LDIZvc9Sh3eIA8H2IcLxC44GhrWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Students practice providing text evidence to support their ideas and respectfully responding to others in online literature circle discussions." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6oPJb4S8ad0/YQ1EdLDNDlI/AAAAAAAAXlM/yPvH6LDIZvc9Sh3eIA8H2IcLxC44GhrWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide24.png" title="Students practice providing text evidence to support their ideas and respectfully responding to others in online literature circle discussions." /></a></div><div><br /></div>
Literature Circles: Holding Teacher Led Discussions Posted by The Literary Maven at August 05, 2021 Labels: literature circles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aO16Naf3K_s/YQwZx1X6OhI/AAAAAAAAXkc/q7FgEURgRO0AxLrEXKm_N-0X5CYxy_AwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aO16Naf3K_s/YQwZx1X6OhI/AAAAAAAAXkc/q7FgEURgRO0AxLrEXKm_N-0X5CYxy_AwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide4.png" title="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If your students aren't ready for <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/07/literare-circle-discussions-student-led.html">student led discussions</a> during literature circles, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Teacher-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7134987?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Teacher%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">teacher led discussions</a> are another option. As I shared before, I am not a fan of using assigned roles during literature circles because students can become overly focused on their role and then don’t have much else to contribute to the discussion. While I've found success with student led discussions, I have found just as much success with teacher led ones.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Benefits of Teacher Led Discussions</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Selfishly I enjoy the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Teacher-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7134987?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Teacher%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">teacher led discussions</a> more because I get to take on a much more active role in the discussions and appreciate the joyful interactions with my students as we talk about a book I love and they are hopefully loving just as much. If you are new to literature circles and are nervous about relinquishing too much control (no judgement; I'm type A all the way), teacher led discussions may be a good starting point and you can work toward allowing students to run their own discussions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I run student led discussions, they are usually on a weekly basis and students have read a large chunk of text. When I run teacher led discussions, I try to squeeze in two a week because they are a shorter format. To avoid repetitiveness, I alternate discussion preparations between selecting meaningful passages to discuss and generating discussion questions to share with the group. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WIXb0ankCGM/YRRuqFRzJqI/AAAAAAAAXrA/0QWUw9sBY2EB_Y8l5FiqlFsTGpRKAgjNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WIXb0ankCGM/YRRuqFRzJqI/AAAAAAAAXrA/0QWUw9sBY2EB_Y8l5FiqlFsTGpRKAgjNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide7.png" title="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Selecting Meaningful Discussion Passages</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before I ask students to select a meaningful passage to discuss from their own text, we practice with a shared text. I use the read aloud that accompanies my literature circles unit, but you could just as easily use a short story, poem, or nonfiction piece that connects to the theme, topic, or genre of your literature circle books. In addition to practicing selecting passages, I provide reflecting questions to prompt students as they select and respond to a passage of choice. The day before a discussion, I give students time to select a passage and write their response to it. Giving some time in class makes it more likely that all students will be prepared and participate.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When we share these passages the next day during our discussion, we use the <a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/save-last-word-me" target="_blank">"Save the Last Word for Me" strategy</a>. One student shares a passage, and all other students respond before the original student shares their response. I have the original student share a page number before reading the passage out loud so others in the group can follow along in their own books and reread as needed. If possible, I also post the passage on the board for group members to reference. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQNdL6IXwFc/YRRu9ynbAeI/AAAAAAAAXrM/Iut_B9cIl7sEiDJgsRgzoIjErm-4OkVMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQNdL6IXwFc/YRRu9ynbAeI/AAAAAAAAXrM/Iut_B9cIl7sEiDJgsRgzoIjErm-4OkVMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide9.png" title="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Supporting Students</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Responding to a passage like this is definitely something my sixth grade students are not used to and the first few times we do this, they may need prompting questions from me as well as sentence frames to help them respond. I do give students the opportunity to pass on responding to a passage someone else has selected (but they can't do this more than once per discussion). I also model different possible responses to the same passage. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Students may need to work on selecting and passage that sparks a response from others. Sometimes the passage selected is a little too short and sometimes it needs a little context. For more practice, have students do a sort of "sparking" versus "not sparking" passages.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-euNiX7Fkylo/YRRu1JG8C5I/AAAAAAAAXrE/WQ3IuYp2fWE0PQ6tJqZ8wTR9-kATWDeBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-euNiX7Fkylo/YRRu1JG8C5I/AAAAAAAAXrE/WQ3IuYp2fWE0PQ6tJqZ8wTR9-kATWDeBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide8.png" title="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Generating Discussion Questions</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I use a similar process for developing discussion questions. I first have students practice with a common text. I provide question stems along side sample questions from that common text. Once students are in their discussion groups we practice again by sorting questions that spark responses versus those that don't. Similar to when groups are discussing selected passages, the student who shares a question is the last to share their response to it and students do have the option to pass. I push students to use specific text evidence as they respond to their peers questions and provide sentence frames so students can build on each others' responses.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Assessing Discussions</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Regardless of whether students have selected passages or generated questions, I use the same rubric to score the discussions. Students are graded on their preparation for the discussion, the quality of their comments, and the evidence of them listening to others. Because these are shorter discussions that I facilitate live and grade on the spot, there's no need to record them. However, as students get more comfortable with these types of discussions, you could have students rotate in the role of facilitator and record them for later review by you. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can find all of my literature circle resources, including these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Teacher-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7134987?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Teacher%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">teacher led discussion</a> resources, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Literary-Maven/Category/Literature-Circles-Book-Clubs-549957?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Teacher%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Read on to learn about the <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circles-online-discussions.html" target="_blank">online discussions</a> students are engaged in when I'm running live ones.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxOQZWtoVrI/YQwZ_KHWlGI/AAAAAAAAXkg/kdbDKVy8fG8_O6nO606I-nmxLO84CKOiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rxOQZWtoVrI/YQwZ_KHWlGI/AAAAAAAAXkg/kdbDKVy8fG8_O6nO606I-nmxLO84CKOiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide19.png" title="If you are new to literature circles or want enjoy talking about books with your students, teacher led lit circle discussions may be the way to go." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
What I'm Reading & Planning in August Posted by The Literary Maven at August 01, 2021 Labels: <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lG2aN5kNh5c/YQdUKRMDjXI/AAAAAAAAXdA/ELKLC5oBZCITG5HnsbkmeO-UFZtzKWO-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Slide8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lG2aN5kNh5c/YQdUKRMDjXI/AAAAAAAAXdA/ELKLC5oBZCITG5HnsbkmeO-UFZtzKWO-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide8.png" title="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." /></a></div><br />This summer has been all about making myself feel like me again. Between the struggles of the pandemic and mothering three little ones, I needed to spend this summer on things that make me happy. I've focused on making time for more exercise outdoors and reading even more than I do during the school year. I've been writing blog posts and revising teaching resources. I've traveled to visit family in the Catskills of New York and spent two full weeks plus several weekends at the New Jersey shore with my immediate family. I've taken my girls to playgrounds and splash parks, and filled up bags and bags of library books. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll return to school the second to last week of August for a week of professional development and students will return the last week of August. Until then, I'm trying not to allow my thoughts of school to spiral with all the what ifs of the upcoming year. I'm hoping that by keeping my nose in a book and working on a very focused curriculum related project, I'll be able to enjoy what's left of my summer and keep the back to school scaries away.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Reading in August</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">July was another good reading month and I checked off most of my <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/06/july-lesson-plans.html" target="_blank">TBR list</a>. I continued to have a good deal of car time and ended up listening to eight audiobooks (seven middle grade, one young adult). Of the six physical books I read, three were adult, one was young adult, one was middle grade, and one was a professional development book. The second PD book I hoped to get through didn't happen because these are slower reads for me; I usually take notes and take time to consider how to incorporate ideas into my own classroom.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's what I read in July:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. <a href="https://amzn.to/3qARjOB" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Terraform: Building A Better World</i> by Propaganda</a> (poetry)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. <a href="https://amzn.to/3wdVKAg" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mechanically Inclined</i> by Jeff Anderson</a> (professional development)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. <a href="https://amzn.to/2TlV3Hy" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">At Night All Blood Is Black</i> by David Diop</a> (adult fiction)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. <a href="https://amzn.to/3ApAKtA" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Light Between Us</i> by Andrew Fukuda</a> (young adult fiction)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5.<a href="https://amzn.to/3hfL3ri" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"> <i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">An American Marriage</i> by Tayari Jones</a> (adult fiction)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">6. <a href="https://amzn.to/363TGQI" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker Hero</i> by Rachel Renee Russell</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">7. <a href="https://amzn.to/2Tq42aB" style="color: #9900ff; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora</i> by Pablo Cartaya</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">8. <a href="https://amzn.to/3lqqImZ" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Who Drank the Moon</i> by Kelly Barnhill</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">9. <a href="https://amzn.to/3xghXhy" target="_blank"><i>The Last Kids on Earth</i> by Max Brallier </a>(middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">10. <a href="https://amzn.to/37bxFQi" target="_blank"><i>Three Times Lucky</i> by Sheila Turnage</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">11. <a href="https://amzn.to/3C8Znvw" target="_blank"><i>Front Desk</i> by Kelly Yang</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">12. <a href="https://amzn.to/3zZlMtg" target="_blank"><i>Flying Lessons & Other Stories</i> edited by Ellen Oh</a> (middle grade short story anthology)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">13. <a href="https://amzn.to/3rLfvhV" target="_blank"><i>Angel of Greenwood</i> by Randi Pink</a> (young adult)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">14. <a href="https://amzn.to/2VrjT9N" target="_blank"><i>When the World Was Ours</i> by Liz Kessler</a> (middle grade)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDA2biDcCLs/YQlVbIWdE1I/AAAAAAAAXeg/4YYMq8lFQV8IITJPT1TpLxHnzR3UjipkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pDA2biDcCLs/YQlVbIWdE1I/AAAAAAAAXeg/4YYMq8lFQV8IITJPT1TpLxHnzR3UjipkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide9.png" title="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Just before I headed down to the beach this weekend, I received a box of beautiful advanced reader copies of books from Macmillan Publishers plus a new graphic novel, so those are all of the titles on my TBR list for this month. I think reading that many physical titles will be an ambitious goal since I'll be heading back to school at the end of the month, but I'm going to aim high.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Here's what I'm hoping to read in August:</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. <a href="https://amzn.to/3yjNYXi" target="_blank"><i>Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora</i> edited by Saraciea J. Fennell</a> (young adult short story anthology, available 9/14)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. <a href="https://amzn.to/3jcorJd" target="_blank"><i>Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche</i> by Nancy Springer</a> (young adult, available 8/31)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. <a href="https://amzn.to/3idrO3k" target="_blank"><i>Bright Ruined Things</i> by Samantha Cohoe</a> (young adult, available 2/15)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. <a href="https://amzn.to/3fmMLHb" target="_blank"><i>I Am Margaret Moore</i> by Hannah Capin</a> (young adult, available 3/15)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5. <a href="https://amzn.to/3lkua2r" target="_blank"><i>If This Gets Out</i> by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich</a> (young adult, available 12/7)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">6. <a href="https://amzn.to/3jbgCDJ" target="_blank"><i>My Monticello</i> by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson</a> (adult, available 10/5)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">7. <a href="https://amzn.to/3rRgyg7" target="_blank"><i>Goblin</i> by by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins</a> (middle grade graphic novel)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nOBO6SxmM2I/YQlVlfHhFiI/AAAAAAAAXek/4R5IRL8ewlMFnETicqGgyse_5TypBDZ5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nOBO6SxmM2I/YQlVlfHhFiI/AAAAAAAAXek/4R5IRL8ewlMFnETicqGgyse_5TypBDZ5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide10.png" title="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Planning in August</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have gotten a slow start on my big mental project for the summer, which was planning out grammar and writing instruction for next year. I read most of <a href="https://amzn.to/3wdVKAg" style="background-color: white; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mechanically Inclined</i> by Jeff Anderson</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"> last month and hope to revisit </span><i style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3jwd3d4" target="_blank">Everyday Editing</a>,</i> also by Jeff Anderson, this month as I continue to think about weaving together my writing and grammar instruction. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I'm working through Anderson's books, I'm making note of which of his lessons align with Pennsylvania's eligible content for conventions of standard English. In sixth grade there is a heavy focus on pronouns and comma usage. Once I've picked out the lessons that are most important for me to teach, I want to map out an order in which to teach them as well as develop a weekly or bi-weekly structure for teaching each skill. Something like: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Monday - introduce a mentor sentence for students to imitate</li><li>Tuesday - deep dive into the "rule" connected to the mentor sentence (add to writer's notebook)</li><li>Wednesday - activity practicing the "rule"</li><li>Thursday - introduce a second mentor sentence for students to imitate</li><li>Friday - continue writing from one of the week's imitation sentences and share</li><li>Monday - make corrections to sample sentences based on "rule"</li><li>Tuesday - search for examples in students' independent reading books (add to writer's notebook)</li><li>Wednesday - free write in response to mentor text</li><li>Thursday - editing free write to apply the "rule"</li><li>Friday - share free writes</li></ul>This two week structure will give students multiple opportunities to practice each skill and as the year continues, we'll build an editing checklist so that previously taught skills are constantly referred back to. Anderson's books provide suggested mentor sentences and texts, and I'm hoping to build on those suggestions with examples from the texts we are reading in class to make this grammar and writing instruction a seamless part of each day. I'm also hoping to pull examples from books in my classroom library to help promote some of those titles.<div><br /></div><div>I'm still thrifting for new titles to add to my classroom library and I've stopped in my classroom to drop those books off, stamp them, scan them into BookSource and shelve them, but I haven't done any other work in my classroom. I don't do a lot of decorating and there's so many unknowns for what the start of the school year will look like, so I'm trying to hold onto these last few weeks of summer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Without knowing what the rules will be around student movement and sharing of materials, it is hard to plan out that first week of school. I want that first week to get students excited about reading and writing. I'd love to be able to do a book sort and book dating activity to help students get to know our classroom library and jump right into our independent reading routine. I'll also do some version of my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Day-of-School-Stations-Back-to-School-Activities-Print-Digital-2515270?utm_source=Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=August%20Read%20%26%20Plan" target="_blank">back to school stations</a>, but I'm not sure if it will be hands-on or digital or some combination of the two. For writing I like to start the year with George Ella Lyon's "Where I'm From" Poem and having students write their own. Other get to know you activities and a review of our summer reading, <a href="https://amzn.to/3zZeYvv" target="_blank"><i>Look Both Ways</i> by Jason Reynolds</a>, will allow students to practice working in different collaborative structures. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are preparing to head back to school, I wish you the best of luck. If you are still hanging on to your summer, I wish you the best of luck with that too!<br /><div><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Note:</i> The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-396JGGaMmIQ/YQdUUKSHkbI/AAAAAAAAXdE/uxzuDUdNgxcZ679_00E3kgz83Vh7-V4PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1443/Slide8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-396JGGaMmIQ/YQdUUKSHkbI/AAAAAAAAXdE/uxzuDUdNgxcZ679_00E3kgz83Vh7-V4PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide8.png" title="School starts up at end of August, but until then I'm enjoying summer. Here's my TBR list for the month and an update on my writing instruction plans." /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
Literature Circles: Holding Student Led Discussions Posted by The Literary Maven at July 27, 2021 Labels: literature circles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_XotVND5Xo/YQAro11ofhI/AAAAAAAAXTI/taaMNc7PS4I-RwYTqL-rsLvQyNxIKdnvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If students are new to literature circles or if you want students to be able to run their own discussions, a highly structured format is a must." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X_XotVND5Xo/YQAro11ofhI/AAAAAAAAXTI/taaMNc7PS4I-RwYTqL-rsLvQyNxIKdnvgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide3.png" title="If students are new to literature circles or if you want students to be able to run their own discussions, a highly structured format is a must." /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">You've <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/04/literature-circles-book-selection.html" target="_blank">decided on the books</a> and <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/07/literature-circle-groups-first-meeting.html" target="_blank">how to group students</a>, but now you will have to decide how you'd like to structure the discussions those groups will have. I am not a fan of using assigned roles during literature circles because I find it can lead to superficial engagement with the text. Student can hyper focus on fulfilling their role of writing a summary, defining unknown words, etc. and then don’t have much else to contribute to the discussion. I’ve run literature circle discussions in two different ways and have found success with both.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This first option is highly structured, so it is perfect if students are new to literature circles or if you want students to be able to run their own discussions. It works well for discussions held about once a week and after a significant chunk of reading. </p><b>Preparing for Student Led Discussions</b><br />Each student receives the same <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Student-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7281911?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Student%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">discussion preparation sheet</a> that includes elements of traditional literature circle roles. Students are asked to summarize the assigned section of their book, pick out challenging vocabulary, illustrate a key scene, track the themes of the book, and develop discussion questions. At the top of this preparation page, I have students record the pages they need to read in order to complete their preparation and the date they will need to be prepared by.<div><br /><b>During the Discussion</b><br /><div>Students take turns leading and taking notes on the discussion using a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Student-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7281911?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Student%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">recording sheet</a>. I choose the leader for each meeting, starting with a student I know will get the group off to a strong start. The recording sheet creates accountability for the leader as well as the other members of the group. The sheet has directions stating how many students should share during each part of the discussion, which matches up with the parts of the preparation sheet. During the first discussion, the leader can choose any student. In following discussions, I make note of students who have already contributed and should not be chosen again until everyone has had a turn with that part.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite the discussion being highly structured, I do want it to be a discussion, not just one student sharing after the other without any interaction between students. To help students respond after someone else has shared, I have a slide of sentence frames displayed on my whiteboard during the discussion and the group leader will select some students to share responses; students may also volunteer to respond to others. As the groups become more comfortable with the structure of the discussion and talking with each other, there will be more of a natural flow and less of a need for the leader to call on students to respond.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Setting Students Up For Success</b></div><div>I don't expect literature circle discussions to feel comfortable for students from the start, even with such a structured organization. One thing I do to help students feel more comfortable is to first use the preparation sheet with a text all students have read. As a whole class we share examples for each part of the preparation sheet. I come prepared with "bad" examples (poor quality preparation) and ask students for feedback on what others did well and what I could improve. Students need the most help with creating meaningful discussion questions, so that section of the preparation sheet may have to be reviewed again after all students participate in their first discussion. I like to make a T- chart and have students sort questions into "after one person responds, no one would have anything else to add" and " students would have different responses or additional examples to add."</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I select students to model a discussion while others watch. I'll review the format and timing of the discussion. I also take part in this model discussion and, depending on the class, will model the group leader role or model a poorly participating group member. Again, I'll ask for whole class feedback on what others did well and what I could improve.</div><br /><b>The Teacher As An Observer</b><br />When I use this style of discussion, all book groups meet at the same time in the same classroom so it isn’t possible for me to be a part of all of the discussions. I can float between the groups and jump in when someone gets stuck. Groups use the camera on an iPad to record their discussions so I can listen to them later. Students record only the audio of their discussions; they start recording and then place the iPad face down so no images are captured (much less distracting for students). Besides holding students accountable, having the recording sheet to review while listening ensures that I know who was speaking and when. I use a rubric to score students preparation for and participation in the discussion.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Find all of my literature circle resources, including these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-CirclesBooks-Clubs-Student-Led-Discussion-Print-Digital--7281911?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Student%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">student led discussion</a> resources, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Literary-Maven/Category/Literature-Circles-Book-Clubs-549957?utm_source=The%20Literary%20Maven&utm_campaign=Literature%20Circles%3A%20Holding%20Student%20Led%20Discussions" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Read on to learn about holding <a href="https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2021/08/literature-circle-discussions-teacher-led.html" target="_blank">teacher led discussions</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSbwiDHlSo8/YQGlvO4yBqI/AAAAAAAAXU0/t6pM-Av1kog438_p894JbKOBNsmfUkELgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1082/Slide14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If students are new to literature circles or if you want students to be able to run their own discussions, a highly structured format is a must." border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aSbwiDHlSo8/YQGlvO4yBqI/AAAAAAAAXU0/t6pM-Av1kog438_p894JbKOBNsmfUkELgCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Slide14.png" title="If students are new to literature circles or if you want students to be able to run their own discussions, a highly structured format is a must." /></a></div>
