Lit Circle Strategies

Lit Circles for Secondary Students - By Jaylani Roberts

Teens often times resist reading at all cost. However if lit circles are structured appropriately it can be an awesome way to engage students and explore a variety of novels in a short span of time. There are a number of steps that teachers should take in setting up reading circles.

Here is a list of the necessary steps:

Setting Norms (Norms are created by the group however here are some sample norms)
 * Everyone participates
 * Respect the one mic rule
 * Discuss what you have read before starting a new chapter
 * If you are absent it is your responsibility to keep up with the assigned reading for the week
 * Stay on task and don't wander around the room or talk to other groups
 * Read clearly and smoothly when reading aloud

Lit Circle Roles (Names may vary depending on the model you choose but the function is the same)
 * Summarizer - Summarizes main ideas of the reading
 * Visualizer - Helps to create a picture of an important scene for the group to see visually through art
 * Literary Luminary - Chooses parts of a chapter to discuss and question (This could be a funny or scary scene that is interesting and provokes discussion)
 * Connector - Responsible for making connections between the book and the outside world


 * Diction Detective - Helps to find vocabulary words, literary devices, figurative language and phrases that are important to the text

Lit Circle Activities
 * Get to know me
 * Read Aloud
 * Silent Reading
 * Academic Discussion

Final Presentations

Lit circle books can be completed in many ways. In the past I have assigned oral presentations. In these presentations students have been required to do the following:
 * Create a Google slide or Prezi presentation
 * Discuss the author's background
 * Historical context of the piece
 * Is the book something of literary merit
 * Include 5-8 images that reflect the character(s), rising action, arc, climax and resolution
 * Discuss at least 3 literary devices utilized throughout the book


 * Rating and recommendation for the book