Literature circles for middle schoolers

Do your students know how to have a real conversation in which they listen to others and connect. As we lay the foundation for literature circles, ive found that it works best to have the whole class read the same novel. Literature circles can be your classrooms best friend when it comes to fostering not only reading, but talking about literature as well. But i wanted to throw the interactive notebook element in there. Instead of sticking to traditional tests, papers and book reports, teachers can provide. A multiple choice quiz after reading is a quick and easy way to check student comprehension, but it doesnt allow you to assess deeper understanding and it certainly isnt fun or creative.

Keeping your class interesting, different, and changing helps keep interest in. When teaching middle school language arts, it is good to express some creativity when assessing students. A general overview on how to use literature circles in middle school. A literature circle is when you put students into small groups and have each group read a different text. Literature circles are a fun and effective way to get kids excited about reading, and they are aligned with common core state standards for speaking and listening. They are also at a challenging age for effective group work because many middle schoolers struggle with structure. In a fishbowl strategy, a small group of students are in the middle of a circle discussing the book while the majority of the class members are listening from outside.

And for an explanation of how i used minilessons both as a full class and in the small lit circles, read here. Of course, literature circles are, by nature, very interactive. I found that, overall, my students took more pride in their weekly role work and did better work to go along with it. However, learning when to talk and when to listen can be a challenge. They are also at a challenging age for effective group work because. This study worksheet and quiz will cover the use of literature circles in middle school.

Free printables for literature circles laura candler. Browse this collection of printables to use with your literature circle activities. There is no doubt that middle school students love to socialize. Fun language arts projects for middle school synonym. The nuts and bolts of setting up literature circles edutopia. About katie sluiter katie sluiter is currently an 8th english teacher in west michigan.

To read about the procedures i put in place for my students, check here. Elena aguilar shares more on literature circles, focusing this time on laying the groundwork, teaching kids protocols for discussion, and. Middle schoolers are at the perfect age to collaborate in literature circles. If you are looking for more meaningful and engaging activities to use with students during literature circles or a novel unit, heres twelve ideas that are favorites in my classroom and the common core. Literature circles for middle school engages your students in academic conversations about books. Book set recommendations for middle school literature circles. Over the course of three articles, i have talked about doing literature circles with my 8thgrade students. This is a video of my students using literature circles in an 8th grade classroom. Literature circle lesson plans for middle school just.

I have found that almost everything i did with high school students, i can do with middle school students if i add in a little extra structure, and lit. Lit circles are a great way for students to start taking ownership of their learning. In this product students have specific roles to complete each week and are accountable to a group of their peers. If a group is struggling, i give each student in the group two poker chips. Literature circles eisenhower middle school youtube. Literature circles are a fun and effective way to get kids excited about reading, and they are aligned with common core state. Students are interacting constantly with their classmates and with the literature. Literature circle lesson plans for middle school just add students.