Download - Lit circles.crosscurrents.2014
Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses:
Literature Circles at Work SEA Crosscurrents Conference 2014 Faye Brownlie with Lisa Schwartz
AM, Feb. 21, 2014
There is great success in engaging students with text and conversation
using literature circles
Literature Circles
STUDENTS Within these groupings,
choose their own
books
are never assigned
roles read at
their own pace
engage in conversations
keep journals about readings
and conversations are taught comprehension
strategies
WHAT?
Reader response centered
Guided primarily by teachers or curriculum based questions
Teacher-assigned groups formed solely on ability
Teacher and text centered
Intended as a place to do skills work
Unstructured, uncontrolled “talk time without accountability
The entire reading curriculum
Literature Circles are…
Literature Circles are not…
Part of a balanced literacy program
Groups formed by book choice
Structured for student independence, responsibility, and ownership Guided primarily by student insights and questions Intended as a context in which to apply reading strategies and writing skills
Day 1: Introduction of book conversations
• Model and practice with poems or short texts
• Ask the students: “What comes to mind when you
read this? SAY SOMETHING.”
Day 1: Start with the books • choose 5 or 6 books with multiple copies
• choose books that cover a wide range of reader interest and level of difficulty
• choose books that lead to further reading (series, author)
Day 1: Introduce the books • read an excerpt
• describe the kind of reader who might enjoy this
• Describe the font, text features etc. including “notice that’s”
Start Reading!!!
Students choose 2 texts each. (One as a back up)
Day 2: Meeting with the groups • meet with a group who are reading the same book, while the other students continue reading
• students come to the meeting with a brief passage prepared to read aloud
• After a student has read, others respond by: SAYING SOMETHING
about what they thought.
This is My Rock ���- David McCord
This is my rock And here I run To steal the secret of the sun;
This is my rock And here come I Before the night has swept the sky
This is my rock, This is the place I meet the evening face to face.
Response Logs
Generally
this is a 10
minute write
Students respond
in writing twice
a week, reacting
to their books.
Initially students write at the same time, but as the process becomes
familiar, most will write when it is appropriate
Criteria for an effective group discussion:
•all voices must be included
•everyone must feel included
•everyone’s ideas are respected
•the discussion should move us to new understandings
Response Journals
double-entry journals initially, written in class, together develop criteria for powerful responses
Left side Right side Notes Early Stages
1. Title of the book One sentence I can read from the book Writing is very limited in the early stages.
2. Title of the book (After reading a pattern book) A sentence of my own following the pattern of the text
3. Title of the book My opinion
(e.g. The part I like best… My favorite character is…)
End of grade 1/ Beginning grade 2
4. Summary (what happened)
My thinking about what happened Initially, expect a lot more writing on the left side than the right.
Later 5. Two events My thinking about these events Gradually expect the length of the
writing to become more balanced on each side
6. A quotation from the text My interpretation thinking of the meaning of this quotation
By intermediate, expect 1-2 sentences about an event and a paragraph of personal response
Bud and Todd had a fight Fighting is really bad because it can make you bleed, get bruises, might break your bones and can hurt you really hard/bad. What I’m thinking that Bud (not with Todd’s family) will get punishment like get no food or get kicked out of the house for the rest of the day (because Todd is blaming Bud that Todd is badly hurt) I might also think that Bud is going to take revenge by getting Todd to do a thing he never did like wet his bed because Todd never wet his bed(it said in the book) so I’m 90% sure that Bud will get Todd to wet his bed, but 10% sure he will do something else.
Tyson ESL 2/3 Thinking Event
A crate came to Eddy’s house.
I wonder what is inside it? I wonder who it is to? I hope it is Eddy’s new bike that got stolen so he will get to ride it to school because I think that he does not want to go to school on the bus because of a bolly or someone he is afrade of or something is bothering him and so he want to ride his bike or get a ride with his aunty or someone. I hope it is not a trick gift from someone that is always mean to Eddy and his family. What if it is a bomb then his house will be gone and his family will die and so will he and he will never get his new bike back.
Carol-Anne Thinking Event
Bud and Todd had a fight
That made me think like crazy and it was true. In some parts of the world like in Africa, Kid’s have no parents and they have to take acre of themselves. Little 5 years olds or six years have to be like an adult. Which made me feel amazed sad and shocked all at the same time. Little sic year olds doing work’s of an adult. My Gosh! Here in Canada when you life is 6 and 5 it’s a breeze. Why there is a good book called Pit Pony and Willy mom dies and Nancy his sister was sort of like his mother ans she’s only eighteen. Just imagine a little 6 year old. Sox years olds are supposed to enjoy life and play with the sun. It kinda reminds me of slaves. The little kids who do such hard work. I am soo glad that at least my class and maybe the whole school at least get to see and play with the sun.
Jennifer Thinking Event
Primary Literature Circles – Lisa Schwartz,
Teacher Consultant, Richmond
• Book choice
• Time to talk
• Read at own pace
• Focus on reading and talking about books
Literature Circles in the Primary Grades
• Have choice in books they read • Read at own pace • Gather in groups to talk about books without jobs or roles
• Reflect on what is being read in a journal or leOer wriPng format (not daily)
• PracPce reading strategies (connecPons, inferring and asking quesPons) in the context of real reading
Students…….
• Use gradual release of responsibility to teach, model and pracPce book talks
• Give children choice • Provide mulPple copies of a variety of books • Give students Pme to read • Read with students and join conversaPons to see what’s working, what’s not, what’s next….
• Explicitly teach reading and response strategies
Teachers……
Introducing the Format
• SPcky note strategy
• Whole class discussion
• Small group discussion
• Build criteria together
• Response
• Provide a raPng for their book on a scale of 1 to 5 and give reasons for their raPng
Strategies:
• Rate that Book • Share your Five Book • RecommendaPon Chart
Focus for Discussion: RaPngs
• Grandfather Twilight Barbara Berger • The Day Eddie Met the Author Lousie Borden • The Wednesday Surprise Eve BunPng • Oliver Bu>on is a Sissy Tomie dePaola • Pancakes for Breakfast Tomie dePaola • Why is the Sky Blue? Sherry Garland • Amazing Grace Mary Hoffman • Yo! Yes and Ring! Yo! Chris Raschka
Great Books for Discussion
• Students share their connecPons to the story. • Begin with text to self and work towards text to text and text to world
Strategies
SPcky note strategy
Quick connecPons vs deep connecPons
Focus for Discussion: ConnecPons
Ms. Fenn’s Grade 2/3 Woodward Elementary
Making ConnecPons: WriOen Response
Focus for Discussion: Inferring
• Infer the feelings of characters, the meanings of words and use what is observed combined with experience to make sense of what is being read.
Learning Inten+ons:
1. I can look at a picture and infer what is happening. 2. I can provide because reasoning for my inference. • Using the picture book Dude by Christopher Aslan
Strategy for Teaching Inferring Using Pictures
Learning Inten+ons 1. I can use pictures, my background knowledge,
rereading and talking with others to infer the meaning of unknown words.
2. I can confirm or contradict my inferences as I conPnue to read.
Book: Nancy Clancy: Super Sleuth by Jane O’Connor
Strategy to Teach Inferring the Meaning of Unknown Words
• Readers ask quesPons before, during and ader reading to predict what might happen, understand the story and clarify ideas.
• Asking quesPons while reading helps us keep our brain focused.
Focus for Discussion: QuesPons
Learning Inten+ons:
1. I can create a list of quesPons while reading to promote understanding.
2. I can categorize my quesPons.
QuesPoning Strategy
• Record quesPons on chart paper • Code quesPons: • A= answered. BK= answered from background knowledge. I= inferred answer from text. R= a quesPon that needs to be researched.
QuesPoning Strategy
• Begin ader spring break (term 1 and 2 guided reading)
• Pre-‐teaching, modeling and pracPce takes Pme
• Three Pmes a week for 45 minutes
• Use resource support to support emergent readers
Set Up
• Teacher reads with one group while other groups read.
• Students use sPcky notes to mark a place in the book they want to discuss.
• Discussions are focused on quesPons, connecPons and inferences.
• Students also rate the book and give reasons why.
Possible Format 1
• Opening: Review criteria for discussion. • Everyone reads at the same Pme (20 minutes).
• During reading, teacher reads with students to give feedback and noPce areas of growth.
• Everyone discusses books at the same Pme.
• Closure: How did it go today? Reflect on our discussions.
Possible Format 2
• Create an anchor chart about literature circles.
• What does literature circle discussions look like?
• What does literature circle discussions sound like?
• Refer to chart at the beginning and end of sessions.
Create Criteria Together
• Different from year to year
• Format changes depending on needs of class and support
• Slow readers • Speed readers • Mini lessons
TroubleshooPng
• Turn and talk to someone.
• What is something you would like to try? • What is something you are sPll wondering about?
Say Something
Grand ConversaPons, Thoughiul Responses -‐ a unique approach to literature circles -‐ Faye Brownlie
Portage and Main Press, 2004
Student Diversity, 2nd ed -‐ Brownlie, Feniak and Schnellert Pembroke Publishers, 2005
It’s All About Thinking – in English, Social Studies and HumaniPes – Brownlie and Schnellert, 2009
Webcast:
Literature Circles in the Middle Years
www.bced.gov.bc.ca/literacy Webcast, part 2