Overview
"Because all they've got is a skeleton. They don't have a heart and a brain or anything."Sean, a student in Gail Whang's classroom
Sean is talking about reading textbooks. Like too many students, his experiences of school reading have been confined to the excerpted and abridged stories that often appear in reading texts. Even in an era when literature-based reading instruction is becoming more popular, turning children on to books does not appear to be happening. Katharine and Gail show how they changed this trend in
Gail's fifth/sixth grade classroom.
Gail's students are considered "at-risk" because they are nonnative English speakers and/or come from low-income homes. And like many inner-city teachers in similar situations, Gail realized her language arts program was not working. As bored and discouraged as her students, she explored alternatives to traditional methods and began to use literature study circles (LSCs) to engage students, and help them develop their abilities to think and talk about issues in their lives.
A thoroughly practical book, Literature Study Circles
Helps teachers move from curriculum-centered to learner-centered teaching.
Shows teachers how to motivate students
Explores how students become confident readers and thinkers
Provides sample documents used in LSCs and examples of students' written responses to books.
Includes bibliographies of popular fifth/sixth grade literature; lists of African American, Asian
American, Native American, and Latino authors; and professional readings on LSCs.
Literature Study Circles will appeal to all teachers who want to implement a literature-based curriculum. As a text for preservice teachers, the book will be applicable in language arts and reading courses.
Editorials
Language Arts
Literature Study Circles in a Multicultural Classroom, by Katherine Davies Samway and Gail Whang, is a concise account of how to set up a literature circle in the classroom, explaining in detail the important components of any effort. Many ideas on how to get started are discussed.The authors stress the role of the teacher as an active listener in the literature circle. By listening carefully to the student-initiated discussions, the teacher can determine the appropriate assignment for the group. Minilessons are conducted based on the student needs observed by the teacher.
This book provides many valuable resources to aid teachers in the implementation of literature study circles. A rich array of ideas for how to obtain books is presented including book club orders, PTA assistance, or grant support, and the book includes appendices listing popular authors and books for fifth and sixth grades, including multicultural selections. In keeping with the practical quality of the presentation, classroom management suggestions are presented throughout.
Several of our reviewers commented that Literature Study Circles would be a valuable resource for establishing a book discussion program in their classroom. The book helped them realize the significance of student choice, and the bibliography was useful for literature selection. We found the student-centered activities to be sound and applicable to any age group of students. Literature Study Circles in a Multicultural Classroom will be an excellent resource for teachers who seek to guide children's exploration of the power of literature.