This document outlines what a literature circle is and how it works. A literature circle involves small groups reading and discussing a book together. Each student is assigned a role, such as summarizer, connector, or discussion director. They complete tasks related to their role and readings to contribute to weekly literature circle meetings. The goal is for students to understand books more deeply and learn from each other through collaborative discussion.

1. What is a Literature Circle?
● A literature circle is a small
group or team that reads and
discusses a book together.
● The readers are able to
share their ideas, questions,
and comments about their
reading with their team
members.

2. What Will You Read?
● Your teacher has chosen
a book for you based on
content, interest, genre,
reading level, and overall
quality.

3. Book Distribution
● Once your Circle (or team) is
established, each member of
your team will be given an
individual copy of the
assigned book.
● You will check the book out
of the library in your name,
and you will be responsible
for taking care of and
keeping up with the book.
● Having your own copy of the
book will enable you to do
your reading.

4. Who Will Be in Your Circle?
● You will be working with
your reading groups.

5. In Your Circle…
● Once you are chosen to participate
in a Literature Circle, your team will
complete the following tasks:
● Examine the book and follow a
schedule to complete the reading,
dividing it into weekly page
requirements and daily page
requirements to be recorded on a
Daily Reading Log.
● Complete the appropriate Role
Assignment Sheets.

6. ON YOUR OWN…
●As a group member you
are responsible for two
things on your own:
●completing the reading
assignment on time
AND
● fulfilling your role by
having your work ready to
share.

7. Sharing Ideas in Your Circle
● In order to share your
ideas, you must have your
“role” presentation
completed before the
weekly meeting.
● The six roles are:
Summariser, Word Smith,
Word Finder, Illustrator,
Connector and Discussion
Director.
Let’s now look at each role
separately.

8. Connector
● Your job is to make
connections from the chapters
you have read.
● There are 3 types of
connections that you make:
● Text to Self- Make
connections with your life
● Text to Text- Make
connections to another book,
movie, TV show,
advertisments,
● Text to World- Make
connections to something in
the world

9. Summariser
● Your job is to write a summary
of your this week’s assigned
reading.
● You should also be able to
write the main points of your
chapters.

10. Word Smith
● Your job is to find three special
passages from the assigned
reading to read aloud to your team.
● The passages may be interesting,
funny, and important or illustrate a
new idea.
● When you read the selections, be
prepared to explain why you chose
each passage and how it is
important to the book.
● You should copy each passage and
write your reasons for choosing it
on your Presentation Sheet.

11. Illustrator
● Your job is to create a piece of
original artwork illustrating an
important idea or scene from the
week’s assigned reading.
● Your illustration can be a sketch,
cartoon, diagram, or stick figure
scene and should help you and
your team understand the assigned
text on a deeper level.
● You will share your Presentation
Sheet which should include a
paragraph telling what your picture
represents and why you chose to
draw it.

12. Discussion Director
● Your job is to present three deep,
searching questions from the
assigned reading for the team as a
whole to discuss. The questions
will not have a right or wrong
answer and could require the team
members to go back to the text
and provide support for their
opinions. These are questions
which make you and the members
think about the big ideas
addressed in this section of the
book.
● You should provide your
questions and your answers to
these questions on your
Presentation Sheet.

13. Word Finder
● Your job is to choose at least 5
words from the week’s assigned
reading that: 1) are somewhat
unfamiliar; and 2) carry significant
weight to the meaning of the idea
in context.
● Then, you will share your
Presentation Sheet which includes
your ideas on the meaning of each
word in context, the dictionary
definition, and your reasons for
choosing those words.

14. YOUR CIRCLE IS COUNTING ON
YOU
●The success of your Literature Circle
depends on YOU!
●If you do not complete the assigned
reading selection or your Role
Assignments, you will not be able to
fully participate, and the Circle will
not function as it should.

15. Be a Good Team Member
● Keep up with your Daily Reading
Log and do the assigned reading
every day. If you read just the
small amount required every day,
you will have no trouble having it
all completed for the week.
● Take your Assigned Role
seriously. Do the work it requires,
and be prepared for your
Literature Circle.
● While we are working online we
will not be sharing our roles with
our group.
● I will tell you how we will be
sharing our roles.

16. What Literature Circles Can Do for You
● Participate fully and do your best
in your Literature Circle and you
will…
● Have the opportunity to
express your opinion and learn
from others in a whole new
way;
● Learn to enjoy and discuss a
book with other people who
have the same interests as
you;
● Experience Literature in a way
you never have before.