Literature Circle Guide

What do we know about literature circles now that we didn't understand eight or ten years ago? What new resources and procedures can help teachers organize their classroom book clubs better? What are the most common pitfalls in implementing student-led discussion groups? And getting beyond the basics, what do mature or advanced literature circles look like? In this thoroughly revised and expanded guide, you will find new strategies, structures, tools, and stories that show you how to launch and manage literature circles effectively. Advanced variations are explored and include alternatives to role sheets and flexible new guidelines for their use. The second edition includes: four different models for preparing students for literature circles using response logs, sticky notes, and newly designed role sheets;dozens of variations on the basic version of student-led bookclubs;new models and procedures for primary, intermediate, and high school grades;new materials for assessing and grading literature circles;an inventory of common management problems and solutions;new scheduling patterns for group meetings and reading time;ideas for using literature circles with nonfiction texts across the curriculum;research on literature circles, including correlation with increased achievement on standardized tests;an explanation of how literature circles match with the national standards for literacy education.With detailed examples provided by twenty practicing teachers, Harvey Daniels offers practical and concrete suggestions for each aspect of book club management and proven solutions for problems that arise.

A literature circle guide to "Walk Two Moons" for students in grades four through eight, featuring a summary of the story, information about author Sharon Creech, enrichment readings, and group discussion and journal writing prompts.

Harvey Daniels' Literature Circles introduced tens of thousands of teachers to the power of student-led book discussions. Nancy Steineke's Reading and Writing Together showed how a teacher can nurture friendship and collaboration among young readers. Now, Daniels and Steineke team up to focus on one crucial element of the Literature Circle model; the short, teacher-directed lessons that begin, guide and follow-up every successful book club meeting. Mini-lessons are the secret to book clubs that click. Each of these forty-five short, focused, and practical lessons includes Nancy and Harvey's actual classroom language and is formatted to help busy teachers with point-by-point answers to the questions they most frequently ask. How can I: steer my students toward deeper comprehension? get kids interested in each others' ideas? make sure kids choose just-right books? help students schedule their reading and meeting time? deal with kids who don't do the reading? get kids to pay more attention to literary style and structure? help special education and ELL students to participate actively in book clubs? get kids to expand their repertoire of reading strategies? make sure groups are on-task when I'm not looking over their shoulder? introduce writing tools (including role sheets) that support student discussion'. help shy or dominating members get the right amount of "airtime?" give grades for book clubs without ruining the fun? use scientific research to justify the classroom time I spend on literature circles? Each mini-lesson spells out everything from the time and materials needed to word-by-word instructions for students. The authors even warn "what could go wrong," helping teachers to avoid predictable management problems. With abundant student examples, reproducible forms, photographs of kids in action, and recommended reading lists, Mini-lessons for Literature Circles helps you deepen student book discussions, create lifelong readers, and build a respectful classroom community.

A guide to facilitating the discussion of the novel by Madeline L'Engle by students in grades four through eight offers suggestions for identifying themes, analyzing vocabulary, and responding to the text.

Instruction on how to create, organize and inspire literature discussion groups, study groups, or book clubs.

Suggested activities to be used in the classroom to accompany the reading of Roll of thunder, hear my cry by Mildred D. Taylor.

This practical, hands-on guide offers support for your first years in the classroom by offering strategies to overcome ten common challenges found in rural, suburban, and urban school classrooms. The tips are shared by National Board-Certified Teachers, National Teachers of the Year, and other experienced educators. The New Teacher’s Guide to Overcoming Common Challenges provides: 100+ downloadable and customizable resources for new teachers to modify and use in PK-12th grade classrooms. Web access to an online new teacher social media community including New Teacher Talk podcasts (available on iTunes, Spotify and PodBean [https://newteachersguide.podbean.com/]), Twitter Chats (@NewTeacherTalk1), Instagram (@newteachertalk), blogs, and accompanying webpage: newteachersguide.org. Timely advice that addresses the shift to remote and hybrid learning brought about by the world pandemic. This book is used by PK-12 school districts who offer new teacher induction programming, traditional and alternative teacher preparation programs, high school teacher cadet programs, and individual teachers for personal professional learning. Don’t face the challenges alone—learn from those who have been there!

Helps kids respond to literature in small discussion groups!

A guide to E. L. Konigsburg's "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," for use with literature circles in grades 4-8, that provides tools including reading strategy tips, discussion questions, and writing prompts. Also includes an evaluation sheet.

A guide to facilitating the discussion of the novel by Jerry Spinelli by students in grades four through eight offers suggestions for identifying themes, analyzing vocabulary, and responding to the text.