We use a basal reader, but I like to supplement it every once in a while with literature circles.  I absolutely love using these book clubs in the classroom.  It gives the student choice and ownership of their learning.

I usually pick 4 or 5 books for groups of 4 to 5 students for each group.  Sometimes the students pick their top three books, other times I assign them to their book based on interest and reading level.  There is a pacing chart we fill out in small groups.  They are assigned chapters to read for each meeting and their jobs.  After they do their pacing they are able to decorate their cover.  This appeals to the artists in a lot of my students.  Then they all do their predictions about the book and researcher job for their next meeting.

Below are examples of some of the jobs included in the packet.  I sit with each group as they meet.  Some groups need more attention and some are self-sufficient.  I was very impressed with the good “book talk” I heard and they really enjoyed their book picks this round.

Question conductor can be tricky for some of the students because they want to put down questions with only one answer.  The whole point of this job is to get the conversation really started.  My students know everyone in the group has to answer, and that really is no fun when the answer is yes or no.  I love when I hear a good debate that is sparked by one of the questions!

Illustrator is a coveted job!  The students love when it is their turn.  They love to have their group guess the scene.

This is the passage master job.  They pick important parts from the chapters for that meeting and share them with the group.  It is great to hear the other students agreeing on the scene picks or asking why a particular scene was left out.

There are so many resources on literature circle out there!  These come from my packet available in my TPT store.  

Do you use literature circles in your classroom?