Getting Started with Literature Circles
Katherine Schlick Noe and Nancy J. Johnson

A handy guide to help you launch literature circles in your K-8 classroom!

In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. Getting Started with Literature Circles is a handbook for teachers who are just beginning to use this approach in their elementary or middle school classrooms. The book is based on our work with teachers in grades 1 - 6 during their first year using literature circles.

The book is organized into eight chapters, each with a specific focus on one of the key components of literature circles: goals, classroom climate, structure, selecting books, discussions, response journals, focus lessons, and extension projects. Woven into each chapter are the experiences of classroom teachers, numerous examples from students, and strategies for assessment and student self-reflection. Each chapter concludes with "What is worth worrying about and what is worth letting go?" and answers to some common questions about literature circles.

Much of the content of this book is also available at the Literature Circles Resource Center!