Mini lessons For Literature Circles

by Daniels, Harvey

• ISBN13: 9780325007021
• ISBN10: 0325007020
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-14
• Publisher: HEINEMANN

Summary

Grades 6-12 Harvey Daniels'Literature Circlesintroduced tens of thousands of teachers to the power of student-led book discussions. Nancy Steineke's Reading and Writing Togethershowed how a teacher can nurture friendship and collaboration among young readers. Now, Daniels and Steineke team up to focus on one crucial element of the Literature Circle model; the short, teacher-directed lessons that begin, guide and follow-up every successful book club meeting. Mini-lessons are the secret to book clubs that click. Each of these forty-five short, focused, and practical lessons includes Nancy and Harvey's actual classroom language and is formatted to help busy teachers with point-by-point answers to the questions they most frequently ask. How can I: steer my students toward deeper comprehension? get kids interested in each others'ideas? make sure kids choose just-right books? help students schedule their reading and meeting time? deal with kids who don't do the reading? get kids to pay more attention to literary style and structure? help special education and ELL students to participate actively in book clubs? get kids to expand their repertoire of reading strategies? make sure groups are on-task when I'm not looking over their shoulder? introduce writing tools (including role sheets) that support student discussion'. help shy or dominating members get the right amount of "airtime?" give grades for book clubs without ruining the fun? use scientific research to justify the classroom time I spend on literature circles? Each mini-lesson spells out everything from the time and materials needed to word-by-word instructions for students. The authors even warn "what could go wrong," helping teachers to avoid predictable management problems. With abundant student examples, reproducible forms, photographs of kids in action, and recommended reading lists, Mini-lessons for Literature Circles helps you deepen student book discussions, create lifelong readers, and build a respectful classroom community.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Joining the Book Club	1	(28)
Really Reading in Literature Circles	3	(1)
What Do Book Clubs Look Like?	4	(1)
What Are Mini-lessons?	5	(1)
Why Do You Need Mini-lessons?	6	(1)
What Topics Do Mini-lessons Cover?	7	(4)
Social Skills	7	(2)
Reading Strategies	9	(1)
Literary Analysis	10	(1)
When Do You Teach Mini-lessons?	11	(5)
Calendar 1	13	(2)
Calendar 2	15	(1)
Do Literature Circles Run All Year Long?	16	(1)
Which Mini-lesson Do You Teach When?	17	(1)
How Are Mini-lessons Organized in This Book?	18	(1)
How Did We Choose These Forty-five Mini-lesson Topics?	19	(1)
How Do You Teach Mini-lessons Well?	20	(3)
Adapt Them to Your Class	20	(1)
Provide Students with Journals	21	(1)
Be Ready to Switch Roles	21	(2)
Are These Mini-lessons Useful Only for Literature Circles?	23	(1)
Does Scientific Research Support Literature Circles?	23	(1)
What About Educational Standards?	24	(1)
Who Are We?	25	(2)
Why the Starfish?	27	(1)
Recommended Readings	27	(2)
Getting Ready for Peer-Led Discussions	29	(42)
Class Icebreaker: Find Someone Who	31	(7)
Conversational Warm-up: Membership Grid	38	(5)
Home Court Advantage	43	(5)
Defining Discussion Skills	48	(7)
Think-Aloud	55	(8)
Written Conversation	63	(8)
Practicing with Short Text: Tools for Thoughtful Response	71	(35)
Role Sheets	75	(5)
Response Logs	80	(5)
Post-its	85	(4)
Bookmarks	89	(4)
Drawing	93	(7)
Text Coding	100	(6)
Getting Started with Whole Books	106	(20)
Presenting Book Choices with Book Talks	108	(4)
Presenting Book Choices with a Book Pass	112	(3)
Setting Ground Rules	115	(3)
Making a Reading Calendar	118	(4)
Dealing with the First Chapter	122	(4)
Refining Discussion Skills: Creating Deeper Comprehension	126	(33)
Asking Good Questions	128	(5)
Asking Follow-up Questions	133	(5)
Save the Last Word for Me	138	(5)
Prove It! Taking It Back to the Book	143	(5)
Discussion Skill Table Cards	148	(6)
Getting More Mileage Out of Drawings	154	(5)
Solving Problems: Students and Groups Who Struggle	159	(29)
Books on Tape	162	(4)
Dealing with Slackers and Unprepared Members	166	(4)
Sharing Airtime: Helping Dominant or Shy Members	170	(4)
Overcoming Off-Task Triggers	174	(4)
Extending Discussion When You've Run Out of Stuff on Your Notes but the Clock Is Still Running	178	(3)
Don't Spoil the Ending	181	(4)
Abandoning a Book	185	(3)
Examining the Author's Craft	188	(30)
Savoring Powerful Language	190	(3)
Taking Note of Strong Verbs	193	(5)
Examining the Setting with Research	198	(8)
The Envelope, Please: Predicting Plot and Character	206	(4)
Looking at Characterization	210	(8)
Assessment and Accountability	218	(27)
Post-Discussion Journaling	221	(4)
Goal Setting for Group Improvement	225	(4)
Using Student Observers	229	(5)
Eye in the Sky Videotaping	234	(5)
Developing a Rubric with Students	239	(6)
Performance Projects That Rock	245	(32)
Tableaux	247	(6)
Readers Theater	253	(6)
Skit with Narration	259	(6)
Talk Show	265	(8)
Brief the President	273	(4)
Do It Yourself!	277	(4)
Appendix	281	(9)
Find Someone Who	282	(1)
Membership Grid	283	(1)
Book Pass Review Sheet	284	(1)
Abandoned Book Report	285	(1)
The Envelope, Please	286	(1)
Observation Sheet	287	(1)
Character Resume	288	(1)
Video Reflections	289	(1)
References	290