Description
| Literature circles are... | Literature circles are not... |
|---|---|
| Reader response centered | Teacher and text centered |
| Part of a balanced literacy program | The entire reading curriculum |
| Groups formed by book choice | Teacher-assigned groups formed solely by ability |
| Structured for student independence, responsibility, and ownership | Unstructured, uncontrolled "talk time" without accountability |
| Guided primarily by student insights and questions | Guided primarily by teacher- or curriculum-based questions |
| Intended as a context in which to apply reading and writing skills | Intended as a place to do skills work |
| Flexible and fluid; never look the same twice | Tied to a prescriptive "recipe" |
(cited with permission: Schlick Noe, K.L. & Johnson, N.J. (1999). Getting Started with Literature Circles. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.)
Read more about this topic: Literature Circle
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