Literature Circle Responses, Roles, and Norms, Guided Reading, Book Clubs

Literature Circles and Book Clubs are strong tools for your teaching arsenal. Students build community, critical thinking skills, listening skills, deepen connections to the reading, and learn that reading is fun!

My literature circles are a little different. Students use role based notebooks instead of printouts. The notebooks travel home with the students and then get passed to the next student who has that role. I like how students can look back at one another’s work while doing that role.

**Included here are:
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1- Teaching tips for you to get started

2- Four role sheets with directions, an example, and student notebook template (connector, illustrator, question asker, setting setter)

3- Two norms posters - the graphic is changed for older students

4- Before and after club reminders for students (how to rotate roles, checking to make sure work is done, etc.)

Please note that you will need one spiral notebook per student for these circles.

I used these successfully in upper elementary school and also middle school. Additionally, I used these with my intermediate ESL students!