Literature Circles: Sanders-Brunner

Sanders-Brunner, Maureen. “Literature Circles.” School Library Media Activities Monthly. Baltimore: 2004. Vol. 20, Iss. 7; 39-44.

After outlining the idea of literature circles, this author calls for the need for instructors to keep changing their method of lit circle instruction as the students become self-sufficient at directing their own learning. It is a good reminder for teachers to revise their teaching methods from time to time. Sanders-Brunner also discusses literature circles and their alignment with state standards, which I consider very important. In my building, our administration requires that we post the state standard being studied on the board where all students can see it. We are not to do a lesson that doesn’t align with a standard, so her attention to this matter was refreshing. In addition to the standards I expected to see, she included another: social responsibility standards, which called to mind another article I read having to do with teenage girls interviewing social workers and looking at their responsibility to aid people in abusive relationships. All of this information is geared toward the teaching of literacy instruction – not specifically literature circles. To wrap up her article, Sanders-Brunner advises her readers on how to get funding and support for this type of project. Libraries, colleges, and grants are some of her suggestions for teachers who are looking for support.

The author’s note at the end of the article identifies the author as a graduate student of Information and Library Sciences. I would consider a librarian to be a good resource for teaching literacy. I enjoyed the fresh take on literature circles that she presented, and her valid reasons for using them in the classroom. Standards being important to the context of my research project, I will definitely be using this article in m y research.