What are Literacy Circles?

1. What are Literacy Circles? • Three to six students, station • Reading the same text • Before reading each student receives a role sheet that describes the specific discussion strategy to be used for that session.

2. Literacy Circles • Each student has and is responsible for a specific role • Combine a variety of strategies within a group discussion. • Provide more opportunities for students to talk, creating independence • Enforces accountability –contracts

3. Literacy Circles Components • Students come prepared to fulfill their roles as described in their role sheets. • Facilitator • Bridge Builder • Word Detective • Visualizations (Picture Maker) • Quotable quotations • Seed Maker

4. Facilitator • Develop questions that will lead to group discussion • This allows for clarification and feelings to be expressed. Examples: What do you think is going to happen next? What have you learned about the characters?

5. Bridge Builder • Finds connections between the reading and the world. (Families, friends, community, news) Examples: • Text to text • Text to self • Text to world

6. Word Detective • Find important words for the group to learn using sticky notes. • Discuss with group the meaning of the word • Write down meaning found in context • Add additional information from dictionary

7. Visualizations • Picture Maker • Sketch, painting, cartoon, diagram • May add words • Discuss picture with group

8. Quotable Quotes • Find quotes to read to the group out loud using sticky notes. • Read the selection • Explain why it was selected

9. Seed Maker • Seeds are your own comments and questions that come to mind as you read. • Present one seed at a time and have all students comment before seed maker comments. Examples: Predictions Confusing sections in the text

10. Group Self-Assessment • Provides direct support for improving discussions • Allows for accountability • Forms of Assessment • Reflective journal entries • Tape recording • Checklists

11. Break into Literacy Circles