Literature circles in middle school give students an engaging way to dive into reading by allowing them to take charge of their learning by discussing books in small, student-led groups. This approach also promotes critical thinking and discussion skills.
One of the main challenges of literature circles in middle school (and book clubs) that made me reluctant to embrace them was having to come up with a variety of tasks and assignments. I mistakenly thought that if students were all reading different texts, I had to have different assignments for each text and then differentiate for different students.
With all that in mind, it seemed far too daunting to take on at the time.
I’ve since learned that one way to ensure success with literature circles in middle school is with good planning in the choices of texts. With that, there is no need to include a wide variety of assignments. Instead, it’s possible to tie texts together by theme, character, time period, topic, etc., to create one set of assignments. These assignments, like the texts, can be easily differentiated to any student’s needs.
This post will explore how literature circles can transform your classroom into a space where students eagerly connect with books and each other while building essential literacy skills.
What are literature circles?
The term ‘literature circles’ is often used interchangeably with book clubs, which are nearly the same.
Often, book clubs involve students being split into groups and then assigned a book by the teacher. In comparison, lit circles involve students choosing their own books and coming together as a group.
Lit circles are a way to use dynamic book choices to meet students’ interests, making student voice and choice a prime aspect.
At its heart, a lit circle is a small, peer-led reading group in which students read the same text and work together to deepen their study of the text and relevant issues or ideas within it.
How to Successfully Use Literature Circles in Middle School
Keep reading for a walk-through of successfully integrating literature circles into your middle school classroom.
Make strong text choices.
The first step toward using literature circles in middle school is text choice. Focus on student voice, how easy the text is to differentiate immediately, and age-appropriate texts. While the focus is often on reading novels in literature circles, you can use many other text options.
To give students practice, you can use a lit circle approach with a wide variety of short stories or even non-fiction articles about different subjects.
For some short story options, you can read this post, 14 Best Short Stories for Middle School, or use any of the following units:
- Grade 6 Short Story Unit – Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD
- Grade 7 Short Story Unit – Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD
- Grade 8 Short Story Unit – Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD
You may also want to read Four Easy Approaches to Using Short Stories in Groups in Middle School.
You can use any article in this Article of the Week Full Year Mega Bundle for a selection of non-fiction articles on different subjects. This bundle includes 44 non-fiction articles on various topics and can be a great choice when using literature circles in middle school. You can find the Article of the Week Full Year Mega Bundle on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
For any text, offer a tasting of the available options. This might be similar to a First Chapter Friday approach, where students can move through different stations that present the text options.
At the end, students individually complete an exit ticket with their top three choices and a few sentences explaining their choices. This will help the teacher form cohesive groups and match students with at least one of their choices.
Avoid the usual assigned roles.
Sometimes, with group reading in middle school, we might assign different roles to students. However, with literature circles in middle school, it’s important to focus on shared tasks with individual accountability.
You can still have assigned roles but switch them weekly or provide all students with the same structure for analyzing the book that week. While there may be a time and place to have one student in the role of communicator and another in the role of note-taker, and so on, literature circles in middle school can work better without a set of roles.
In this way, all students become responsible for these roles as they focus on tasks that require deeper thinking and learning. When each student has an assigned role, they typically fulfill only that specific function, which can limit the depth of their engagement with the text.
Each week could focus on a different literary element, such as plot, character, setting, theme, and conflict. You could also have students focus on how the literary elements develop over the course of the novel.
By moving to shared tasks with individual accountability, all students become active participants in each aspect of the discussion. It creates an environment where every student feels equally responsible for making the discussion meaningful.
Another way to change up your literature circles is by using these Reading Strategies Graphic Organizers. This resource has a collection of 6 different graphic organizers that will help students engage, connect, and think critically about their reading. Students can write directly on the graphic organizers or collect their thoughts on sticky notes and use the graphic organizers as a study tool.
Reading Strategies Included:
- Plot
- Characters
- Connections
- Questions
- Predictions
- Before, during, and after reading organizers
You can find the Reading Strategies Graphic Organizers on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Set a schedule.
Creating a schedule is important when planning to use literature circles in middle school. Creating a schedule will depend on whether you include in-class reading and assigned out-of-class reading.
Set meetings throughout the unit with reasonable spacing based on chapter breaks (aiming for a reading chunk of about 20-40 pages per meeting).
Between these literature circle meetings, you’ll want to include mini-lessons, in-class reading, text work independent of the group, etc. To know what to do between meetings, think about what you want students to do at the end of the book.
Once you know the final task, list the skills and background knowledge students will need to accomplish it. Then, build in lessons and activities so students can practice the skills and gain the necessary knowledge.
Build up to discussion.
When starting literature circles in middle school, it can be tempting to start discussions right away, but it’s important to build up to those discussions. Yes, we want students to engage in deep learning, which often happens through discussion, but in the initial meeting, students might not be comfortable sharing their thoughts on certain subjects.
Instead, take some time to focus on team-building in groups. This can still be done in relation to the focus text. For example, have students create the setting of their book using unconventional materials available in class.
One way to be prepared for this is by keeping makerspace items in a container in class. This can include paper towels or toilet paper rolls, paperclips, straws, a pack of noodles, aluminum foil, random craft items, etc. Ask teachers in other departments to contribute what they can and see what items you may throw into your recycle bin at home that can be brought in for future use.
What To Do At The End?
The final project that students complete for your literature circles in middle school is up to you, but remember that having some choices for students will likely increase their engagement.
You’ll have to decide whether the final product will be done collaboratively or independently. Does the final product become an extension of the book’s theme or main idea? Or does the final project stick firmly in the text and action of the book?
One assignment students love is the book flatlay project. This assignment allows students to showcase their thoughts about the books they’ve read by creating a visually stunning book flatlay/book bento image. Students will be able to demonstrate their creativity and strengthen their analytical skills by justifying their prop choices with evidence from the text.
You can find the Book Flatlay Project on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD. Check out this post, 16 Fantastic Final Project Ideas for Middle School English Class, for even more final project ideas.
The Book Report Project Bundle contains 14 book report assignments in book report choice board format, allowing students to exercise their creativity while allowing for student choice and voice. This resource contains a book report rubric to assist with your assessment needs. You can find the Book Report Project Bundle on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
Students can persuade their peers to read or not read a book with a book talk assignment. This assignment is not your traditional book talk, as students must think of a creative way to present this to their classmates. You can find the Book Talk Assignment on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
You can also use the Book Unboxing Assignment, where students use their knowledge and excitement to promote reading in your classroom. Students select three to five books they have read (fiction or nonfiction) and unbox them for the class through a video or live presentation. You can find this resource on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
A Final Word On Literature Circles In Middle School
While literature circles in middle school might seem daunting at first, they are well worth the effort! If this is your first time trying literature circles, keep it simple. See what works for your students, and then you can branch out with different ideas to extend and challenge their learning.
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