Literature Circles

Lin, Cua-Hui. "Literature Circles." ERIC Digest. (2002).

This article was compiled for ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center regarding how to put literature circles into practice, and to condense research for educators looking to study the process. Also included are the proven benefits of literature circles on student learning. It reads like a literature review, with in-text citations scattered throughout. According to this article, the three basic elements of literature circles are diversity, self-choice, and student initiative – which comes from Harvey Daniels, the creator of this method. The article then details the method of choosing books, grouping students, and how literature circles help build community in the classroom. According to the writing, "lit circles promote classroom climates which are cooperative, responsible, and enjoyable" and they also promote self-directed learning. As an added bonus, girls who would ordinarily be silenced by male-dominated conversation are given the chance to speak up in reading groups.

The author seems to be more of a compiler than a writer, including information from a variety of well-known sources. The writer quotes from Daniels and Vygotsky, who are renowned experts in their area, and includes a well-done list of references.

I’ve seen the theme in a few of these articles regarding small group discussion being less threatening to students than the traditional teaching method that utilizes large group discussion. I don’t have an issue with students who seem to be threatened by large group discussion, but this could be an interesting side note to examine in my research.