The "Us" in Discuss: Grouping in Literature Schools

Voices from the Middle, Volume 20 Number 2, December 2012

Batchelor | The “Us” in Discuss: Grouping in Literature CirclesKatherine Batchelor

The “Us” in Discuss: Grouping in Literature Circles

Two male and two female eighth-grade students sit around my old kitchen table situated in the cen-

ter of our classroom. Each holds a copy of Tears of a Tiger (1996) by Sharon Draper and their “role” sheets, eager to share. Sixteen others gather around the perim-eter, quietly eavesdropping on the con-versation. They are observing a literature circle “fish bowl,” analyzing their peers and listening for vibrant conversation to emerge.

For those who are new to literature circles, I of-fer a brief definition: Literature circles are small, peer-led groups of students engaging in conver-sations around the same text (Daniels & Steineke, 2004). Texts can range in material from a poem to an article to a novel. To create these discussion circles, students choose a text and then gather to-gether based on text selection; therefore, groups are created through text choice rather than by reading ability. Many middle school teachers have witnessed engaging literature circle discus-sions, but for those hesitant to attempt this group activity, apprehension often stems from common concerns: how to establish groups, how to mini-mize conflicts, and how to assess students indi-vidually.

I recently came across an email I sent to a professor in 2001 in which I asked for pointers about starting literature circles despite being a first-year teacher. My concerns were addressed with vague answers; the professor was more in-

terested in how and why I would attempt this ac-tivity so early in my career. In the decade since, I’ve fine-tuned my original set-up and imple-mentation of literature circles. What I’ve learned is that students enjoy literature circles because the activity keeps them engaged while providing support via discussions and camaraderie. Litera-ture circle grouping creates community in the classroom.

Begin with GroupingHeterogeneous Grouping BenefitsMiddle school students are social beings. Their central concerns include developing friendships, being liked and accepted, and talking to their peers—yet these concerns are primarily regarded by teachers as being for “outside of class time.” When teachers create opportunities for stu-dents to engage in these activities within the classroom, student mo-tivation increases (Mizelle, 1997). Group work focused on a common goal, such as reading for the next discussion time, will increase student engagement and learning (Willis, 2007). In ad-dition, students generate higher-level questions during these discussions than they do when en-gaged in individual learning opportunities (John-son, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010). Thus, greater levels of understanding occur (Willis, 2007), and students will also take more risks with their thinking (Wolfgang, 2009).

Collaboration through grouping establishes community. When students assist each other, they gain a sense of belonging. Glasser (1986)

Groups are created through

text choice rather than by

reading ability.

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selson

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explains, “Belonging provides the initial motiva-tion for students to work” (p. 75). This sense of belonging also “creates a classroom community of learners and promotes the self-esteem of all students” (Routman, 1991, p. 78). Not only does self-esteem swell, but their ability to be empa-thetic increases. Group work provides kinship and promotes a desire for group success (John-son, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010).

Group work also builds interpersonal skills, such as trust, decision making, and conflict reso-lution (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). Frank Smith (1986) states, “[S]ome of the most successful instruction occurs in school when chil-dren help each other. . . . [m]any children know that if they really have a problem of understand-ing . . . they should ask another child, not the teacher” (p. 184).

Forming GroupsTo ensure heterogeneous grouping, I present “book talks” to the class, during which I describe

various book selections. This generates inter-est in less mainstream texts that students may not know but might want to read after hearing a taste of the plot. I have included a list of some of my students’ favorite book selections (see Fig. 1). In examining these titles, I realized the set provides a range of reading difficulty. Accord-ing to Allington (2011), “struggling readers need to dramatically expand their reading activity” (p. 13). Literature circles achieve Allington’s goal by providing a way for students to become engaged with texts they want to read. They also connect to their book through the experience of reading and sharing their thinking with others.

After I present the titles, I invite students to rotate through stations, offering an opportunity to browse the physical books and encouraging the students to read several pages if they feel a connection to a title. Next, I use a “choice slip” on which students list up to three titles that they might enjoy. Students also number their top se-lection. Then I arrange students into their first-

connections from readwritethink

Literature circles

ReadWriteThink.org has several resources on using literature circles in the classroom:

• Literature circles: Getting startedStudents practice different ways of collaborating to read a work of literature. They work in different roles as they com-pose and answer questions, discover new vocabulary, and examine literary elements.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/literature-circles-getting-started-19.html

• Literature circle roles reframed: reading as a film crewCapture students’ enthusiasm for film and transfer it to reading and literature by substituting film production roles for the traditional literature circle roles.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/literature-circle-roles-reframed-877.html

• Young adult Literature about the middle east: a cultural response PerspectiveAdapted from Sheryl L. Finkle and Tamara J. Lilly’s Middle Ground: Exploring Selected Literature from and about the Middle East, this variation on traditional literature circles exposes students to a variety of young adult fiction from and about the Middle East. Students read and share research and responses in collaborative groups. At the end of the les-son, they write a letter to welcome an immigrant student to their school and community.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/young-adult-literature-about-1136.html

Lisa Finkwww.readwritethink.org

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Batchelor | The “Us” in Discuss: Grouping in Literature Circles

choice groups (four students being the maximum group size), with some students getting their sec-ond choice.

Establish and Build Community

Academic achievement increases when teachers promote high-quality relationships rather than competition among students (Johnson, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010). When students first join their newly created groups, I invite them to establish their own rules. They focus primarily on what each group member is expected to do, such as completing role sheets and doing the required readings. Since students choose which book to

read, it is rare for them to come to class without having read the designated pages. Rather, group members must create rules regulating limits on reading ahead and how to handle spoilers.

During their initial meeting, each group re-ceives a folder that eventually gets decorated with favorite character sketches, quotes, and symbolic images. In this first meeting, each student also begins a membership grid (Johnson, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010; Daniels & Steineke, 2004)—a chart listing other group members’ names and lists of each other’s favorites, such as movies, music, video games, and desserts. I’ve had stu-dents each fill out a separate form, but it seems to work best when they fill out one sheet together;

Anderson, L. H. (2000). Fever 1793. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Cummings, P. (2006). Red kayak. New York, NY: Puffin.

Draper, S. M. (1997). Forged by fire. New York, NY: Atheneum.

Draper, S. M. (2001). Romiette and Julio. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

Fleischman, P. (1999). Seedfolks. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Fleischman, S. (1986). The whipping boy. New York, NY: Harper Trophy.

Haddix, M. P. (1998). Among the hidden. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Children.

Hinton, S. E. (1967). The outsiders. New York, NY: Viking Press.

Korman, G. (2007). Schooled. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Levine, G. C. (1999). The wish. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Myers, W. D. (1988). Scorpions. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Nix, G. (1997). Shade’s children. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Paulsen, G. (1999). Hatchet. New York, NY: Aladdin.

Paulsen, G. (2000). The white fox chronicles. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Riordan, R. (2005). The lightning thief. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret: A novel in words and pictures. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Smith, R. (2007). Peak. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Spiegelman, A. (1991). Maus II: A survivor’s tale: And here my troubles began. New York, NY: Pantheon.

Spinelli, J. (2004). Maniac Magee. New York, NY: Little, Brown.

Stewart, T. L. (2007). The mysterious Benedict society. New York, NY: Little, Brown.

Watkins, Y. K. (1986). So far from the bamboo grove. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Whelan, G. (2000). Homeless bird. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

figure 1. Books to ignite conversation in literature circles for middle school students

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Modeling not only shows

students what I expect, but it

also removes the threat that

another student will be nega-

tive, thus enabling a more

communicative and demo-

cratic learning environment.

that system seems to enhance their interpersonal and small-group skills, like a teambuilding exer-cise (Johnson, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010). These grids are placed in the group folder and taken out when students meet outside of their designated book discussion times.

Another way to build relationships is to have students jot down their predictions for the story during pre-reading. Students then revisit predic-tions during discussion, examining how these changed or altered after reading. Additionally, this prediction chart may generate discussion

at meetings or during lulls in conversation.

Students also es-tablish trust in their groups through journ-aling. I ask students to come to each discus-sion with an interest-ing quote or phrase from the book that resonated with them. One student will share

their quote with group members, referencing the page and then inviting students to join them in a quickwrite (Rief, 2003). The writing is open-ended and can be of any genre. At the end of the writing time, students share their work—perhaps just a line they enjoyed writing or maybe an en-tire entry. To build solidarity, every student in the group must say something positive about the response.

Teachers can model this behavior during whole-class quickwrites, demonstrating the dif-ference between praise and vague comments. In my experience, modeling not only shows students what I expect, but it also removes the threat that another student will be negative, thus enabling a more communicative and democratic learning environment.

Initially, a reading schedule and role sheets (see below) are key factors in ensuring meaning-ful discussions. Usually, the class agrees to meet in groups for four sessions. Students then break apart the reading into manageable chunks, not-

ing upcoming holiday breaks, requirements in other classes, or sports and extracurricular re-quirements that might be difficult for some in the group to manage.

Role sheets help keep discussion on track, al-lowing students to explore the reading through an additional lens. By becoming discussion di-rector, connector, literary luminary, illustrator, or vocabulary enricher (Daniels, 1994), students receive praise, encouragement, and assistance while working as a key component in the group’s success (Willis, 2007; Mizelle, 1997). Role sheets help put the focus on individual strengths and al-low students to receive assistance in weaker areas through scaffolding. Once students have stopped using their role sheets as a necessary component of great group discussions, role sheets are no lon-ger required for them. This is why teacher moni-toring and other forms of assessment are also important aspects of group work.

Evaluation through Observation and Reflection

Monitoring GroupsMonitoring group discussion is like taking a snapshot in time. Teachers can quickly assess and highlight each group member’s actions and contributions by observing and sitting in on dis-cussion. I try to avoid interrupting dialogue and conversation. However, sometimes I do check in with them, asking each group member to recap an interesting moment from a meeting. Other times, I ask them to specify new connections they made to the book based on the day’s discussion. I find that keeping a spiral notebook divided into sections, one for each literature circle, is help-ful for jotting down notes or observations. For example, is Devin progressing in her leadership skills? Is Dylan dominating the group’s conver-sation? These notes and snapshots allow me to hone in on specific concepts, such as higher-level thinking questions, theme, or vocabulary. They also guide me in preparing mini-lessons for small-group or whole-group instruction.

Sometimes, I will display my notes on the

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document camera to show the groups how I have perceived their discussions, ultimately talk-ing them through my thinking and asking for feedback. If I recorded conflict between group members, I invite suggestions on handling it in the future. By modeling effective strategies and skills to resolve conflict in teams, teachers assist students in managing dissention and exercising self-control (Willis, 2007). This modeling also promotes collaboration as a positive way to learn, instead of as perceived “cheating” (Smith, 1986).

Assessing GroupsI use a variety of charts and forms to assess group work as a whole, but one of the most effective ways to check in with students individually is to ask them to keep a metacognitive journal of their thinking during reading. Figure 2 is an example of one student’s thinking about the concept of

truth while reading 1984 (Orwell, 1950). She chose to write in a way that reflects her inner thought process by comparing her understanding of truth to the characters’ perceptions of truth.

While this girl chose free-writing, students are also encouraged to explore their thinking while reading in a way that doesn’t distract them or take away the pure enjoyment of getting “lost” in the book. This can mean drawing images or symbols on the page, or jotting down book titles, poems, songs, or movies that spark a connection while reading, or noting vocabulary words they weren’t sure of, or writing questions they had while reading, or listing predictions via bulleted words, etc. I try to avoid summary-like require-ments because, while summary is important, I would rather see the students reflect on what they read and then comment on their thinking about their reading.

figure 2. A student’s metacognitive journal for 1984

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Name: ________________________

Self-Assessment FormDate: ___________

Rating Scale: 1= needs improvement 2= satisfactory 3= very good

EVALUATIVE CATEGORY SCALE

I brought my reading selection to our meeting. 1 2 3

I prepared by reading for today’s meeting. 1 2 3

I shared my ideas and offered my suggestions. 1 2 3

I answered and engaged in questions our group had. 1 2 3

I remained on topic and helped the group stay focused. 1 2 3

I encouraged my peers to participate. 1 2 3

I disagreed without hurting my peers’ feelings. 1 2 3

I gave reasons for my opinions and interpretations. 1 2 3

I listened courteously and effectively. 1 2 3

If applicable, I completed my role sheet and used it as a reference to guide our discussion.

1 2 3

My most important contribution to the discussion was:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

I can prove it by providing the following anecdote:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

My favorite part about today’s meeting was:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

For next week’s meeting, I would like to improve upon this: (Please watch me on the following next week):__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

figure 3. Literature circle self-assessment form

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Additionally, at the end of each literature cir-cle meeting, I give students five minutes to com-plete a self-assessment of their contribution (see Fig. 3). They rate themselves on a scale of 1–3 in a variety of categories, such as sharing ideas and encouraging others, and include examples. Stu-dents must also share what they thought they did well and where they may improve. Such reflec-tion is an essential component of evaluation. Stu-

dents must process their progress toward their individual goals and assess how well they are working together (Johnson, Johnson, & Roseth, 2010). Every other session, I also provide indi-viduals with a group assessment form (see Fig. 4) so they can discreetly comment on the way the group works together. I ask for specific examples, which I call anecdotes, in order to prevent ge-neric answers like “everything’s fine.”

Group Names: __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________

Assessment Form for Discussion Groups

Date: ______________

Group’s Reading Discussion: _________________________________________________

Check appropriate box and provide evidence.

YES NO SOMETIMES A MOMENT OF EVIDENCE (Anecdotes)

Everyone participates and shares in the discussion process. Communication is interactive.

The group is supportive of its individual members. Group climate promotes friendliness.Group members often ask questions for clarification or elaboration.The group discussion stays on topic or on related issues.The group is energetic and enthusiastic during conversations.

What was the best thing about the way the group worked together today?

What was one concern the group had?

How did they solve it?

figure 4. Literature circle assessment form

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Occasionally, after the students have com-pleted their books, I suggest that groups respond to their text through a variety of sign systems, or multiple ways of knowing, such as perform-ing a series of tableaux, writing a readers theater script, creating a movie trailer or 30-second com-mercial, or acting out a favorite scene on camera. Some have chosen to create a scrapbook, a song, or brochure inviting their peers into the book’s setting. Groups should be “free to figure out how to convince the teacher and other students (and

parents) that they have learned the material” (Glasser, 1986, p. 76).

The last meeting can be bittersweet for students. They have connected with their peers and have created, in essence, their own literature “family.” It can be difficult for stu-dents, especially those who crave routine, to switch to another book and form a new family.

However, most students appreciate new perspec-tives and welcome the process.

Final ThoughtsGrouping is not a perfect science. However, starting small with literature circles may improve students’ self-esteem as well as send their mo-tivation and enthusiasm soaring. I find that the group work changes the class energy level and transcends literature into other areas. Literature circles have and will remain a key factor in stu-dents’ discovery of reading as a pleasurable and social experience, as well as in their inclination and ability to forge new connections to authors,

titles, and friendships along the way. Students will embrace these discussion times, which usual-ly result in a sense of community and connected-ness to their peers, their teacher, and themselves.

ReferencesAllington, R. L. (2011). Reading intervention in the

middle grades. Voices from the Middle, 19(2), 10–16.

Daniels, H. (1994). Literature circles: Voice and choice in the student-centered classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Daniels, H., & Steineke, N. (2004). Mini-lessons for literature circles. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Draper, S. (1996). Tears of a tiger. New York, NY: Aladdin.

Glasser, W. (1986). Control theory in the classroom. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Roseth, C. (2010). Cooperative learning in middle schools: Interrela-tionship of relationships and achievement. Middle Grades Research Journal, 5(1), 1–18.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Mizelle, N. B. (1997). Enhancing young adolescents’ motivation for literacy learning. Middle School Journal, 28(3), 16–25.

Orwell, G. (1950). 1984. New York: NY: Signet Classic.

Rief, L. (2003). 100 quickwrites: Fast and effective freewriting exercises that build students’ confidence, develop their fluency, and bring out the writer in every student. New York, NY: Scholastic Teaching Resources.

Routman, R. (1994). Invitations: Changing as teachers and learners K–12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Smith, F. (1986). Insult to intelligence: The bureaucratic invasion of our classrooms. New York, NY: Arbor House.

Willis, J. (2007). Cooperative learning is a brain turn-on. Middle School Journal, 38(4), 4–13.

Wolfgang, C. N. (2009). Managing inquiry-based class-rooms. Science Scope, 32(9), 14–17.

Literature circles have and

will remain a key factor in

students’ discovery of read-

ing as a pleasurable and social

experience, as well as in their

inclination and ability to

forge new connections to au-

thors, titles, and friendships

along the way.

Katherine E. Batchelor is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts and a doctoral student studying literacy at Kent State University.

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The "Us" in Discuss: Grouping in Literature Schools

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