The Missouri Reader Vol. 37, Issue 2 | Page 54

way to do both. Students need to feel they are
involved and in control. By proper modeling and
monitoring, teachers can release the reins to
their students so that they may become the
reading experts. This independence is not
without obstacles. “Literature circles are fragile
curricular structures that can easily lose their
impact when students are not invested or when
habits and routines distract students from
engaging in genuine, thoughtful conversations
about books" (Mills & Jennings, 2011, p. 597).
Literature circles allow students to examine
what they derived from a text without relying
on the teacher’s translation or inference of it,
but this higher order of thinking must be
instilled by the teacher and students must
commit to it.

across grade and ability levels. Literacy
Research and Instruction, 49, 243-263.
Clark, L.W. & Holwadel, J. (2007). “Help! What is
wrong with these literature circles and how
can we fix them?” The Reading Teacher,
61(1), 20-20.
Daniels, H. (2006). What’s the next big thing
with literature circles? Voices from the
Middle, 31(4),10-15.
Mills, H. & Jennings, L. (2011). Talking about
talk: Reclaiming the value and power of
literature circles. The Reading Teacher,
64(8), 590-598.
Thein, A.H., Guise, M. & Sloan, D.L. (2011).
Problematizing literature circles as forums
for discussion of multicultural and political
texts. Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy, 55(1), 15-24.

References
Certo, J., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K. & Miller, J.A.
(2010). I learned how to talk about a book:
Children’s perceptions of literature circles

IRA 59th ANNUAL CONVENTION
May 9-12, 2014
(registration opens Dec. 2013)

Reading…The Teachable Moment
2014 General Session Speakers
Jeff Kinney Best-selling author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Dav Pilkey Creator of the Captain Underpants series
P. David Pearson Renowned reading researcher and educator
Rafe Esquith Innovative, award winning classroom teacher
For more information go to
http://www.reading.org/annual-conference-2014/attendee/program/speakers
©The Missouri Reader, 37 (2) p.54