Literature Circles

What I read on literaturecircle.com:
Literature circles give students the opportunity to explore books that hold their interest and other common-minded students. There are many different literature circles, and each circle chooses a different book. With their group, students get to discuss the book they are reading and share ideas and make connections with their own lives and the characters in the book. During the circle time, the teacher should be observing and evaluating the discussions. According to literaturecircle.com, there should be a “spirit of playfulness and fun.” After all of the groups finish their books, students can share ideas and a deeper meaning of all of the books. They can also encourage or discourage others to read the book that their group has chosen.

What I thought was interesting about the websites:
I thought that the literature circle websites were interesting because I had never really heard of a literature circle before. I love the idea of students getting to choose what they read and share what they learned with their peers. It’s sad when English teachers force students to read tiresome literature and refuse to give students reading options. I believe that through literature circles, students will feel like they have the freedom to read what interests them and desire to read outside of school.