YEAR 7 ENGLISH READING CIRCLES

WHAT ARE READING CIRCLES?Reading circles provide opportunities for students to discuss how authors create and craft quality literature. Students participate in reflective discussions about their novel within a supportive group environment.

READING CIRCLE PLANNING GUIDE

Book Title

Names of Group Members

Our group will read the indicated pages each week.

Week 6 Read from page toWeek 7 Read from page toWeek 8 Read from page toWeek 9 Read from page

The roles will rotate as follows

Week 6 Week 7Student name Role Student name Role

Week 8 Week 9Student name Role Student name Role

ROLES

Facilitator Your teachers will organize the groups, allocate the books and give you time for reading. They will also oversee the completion of the Reading Circle Planning Guide (above) and set schedules and due dates for your Role Sheets and Activities. On the day of the Reading Circles’ meeting, they will move around the room checking that all students are participating appropriately, as well as assisting the time keeper.

Discussion Leader This is the most important role and must be performed first each week. Start by writing up a brief summary of the chapters you’ve been allocated for this week. When your group meets, share your summary. Be sure you have included the answers to the following questions: Who? (character names), Did What? (the events), When?, and Where? (the settings). This 1-2 minute statement needs to cover the key points, main highlights, general idea and essence of today’s reading assignment. If time allows, you may also add in what you liked or what you thought about this section of the novel.

Now create 3 - 6 thoughtful questions for your group to answer orally. You must create discussion questions from each level (literal, inferential and interpretive). You may choose from the critical question starters below, or design your own. These questions must relate to the section of the text you were assigned. Try to think of questions that will get your circle to dig into the book and share their thoughts and opinions. Mark the passages in the novel that answer your questions with post-it notes.

When your group meets, facilitate the question and answer session. Be sure to encourage all group members to contribute, as well as including your own thoughts.

Right There Questions (Literal Questions): The answer is right there in the story. You can point to the answer.

Where was…….

Name as many…….

Describe in your own words …….

What happened when…….

Which character……….

What are the characters doing to solve the problem of …………………..

Think and Search (Inferential Questions): The answer is in the text, but it needs to be put together with different pieces of information form the book. You have to think and search for the answer.

How would you compare….

Choose the best……

How could the character…..

What is the difference between.........

The Author and Me (Interpretive Questions): You need to think about what you know and what the author has said in the text. The answer will be from both the author and you and you infer meaning. The answer won’t be found on the printed page, but the information to answer the question is there.

Predict what would happen if…..

What was the author’s purpose when…..

What will happen when……

Why did the character………

Time Keeper and IllustratorYour first job is to make sure that everyone keeps to their allocated time of 8 -10 minutes per role. You also need to call on each group member to present their activity when it is their turn. You must make sure that all roles are completed five minutes before the bell, so that your group members have time to record what they have to do for the following week.

As the illustrator, create at least one picture of something that is connected specifically to your book. It can be in the form of a cartoon, flow chart, diagram or a sketch. Any kind of drawing or graphic is OK. Some examples could include characters, setting, problems, an exciting part of the story, a surprise, a prediction, etc.

When your group meets, do not tell them what the drawing is. Let them guess and talk about it first. Then you can tell your group what your picture means, where it came from, or what it represents to you. Have your group title the picture. With your group, write a brief description telling the significance of the picture. Your description should explain something that can’t be seen by looking at the picture. Do not just describe the picture.

Word WizardChoose 5 interesting words from the section of the novel you’ve just completed. When your group meets, share each word, telling them the page number and paragraph where you found the word. (These need to be book-marked with post-it notes before your group meets.) Then read aloud the paragraph where the word is found in the book. Make sure you have written down the meaning of the word before asking the other members of the group to record what they think the word means before allowing them to look up the correct meaning in an online dictionary or having you tell them the answer.

Perfect PuzzlerCreate a word puzzle using approximately 12 words from the section of the novel you’ve read this week. Like the Word Wizard, try to use words that people may not know, have not heard, or that are not used very often. You may create a word search, crossword puzzle, secret code puzzle, matching game etc. for your team members to play. Remember, while it should be fun it needs to teach them something about the novel too. Your puzzle may contain word lists as a reference or sentences and definitions or hints.

Time Liner (Only required if there are 5 members in your group)

Timeliner is another way to show events over a period of time. Your job is to create a time line for the section you’ve read. The time line may show events over a period of one day, a week, month, year, or many years. Select five or more significant events to place on the time line. You may include pictures to enhance your time line. You may like to place the events in the incorrect order and have the group members sequence them correctly.

Reading Circle Reflection

Rate entries as 1 – Needs improving, 2 – Satisfactory, 3 – Very Good

Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9

Preparation – I had completed my set reading and remembered to bring my novel to class.

Preparation – I had completed my set reading and remembered to bring my novel to class.

Preparation – I had completed my set reading and remembered to bring my novel to class.

Preparation – I had completed my set reading and remembered to bring my novel to class.

I completed my role sheet or activity.

I completed my role sheet or activity.

I completed my role sheet or activity.

I completed my role sheet or activity.

Participation – I shared my ideas and answered questions with enthusiasm.

Participation – I shared my ideas and answered questions with enthusiasm.

Participation – I shared my ideas and answered questions with enthusiasm.

Participation – I shared my ideas and answered questions with enthusiasm.

I made sure everyone participated and received encouragement when I did my role.

I made sure everyone participated and received encouragement when I did my role.

I made sure everyone participated and received encouragement when I did my role.

I made sure everyone participated and received encouragement when I did my role.

I completed written activities to the best of my ability.

I completed written activities to the best of my ability.

I completed written activities to the best of my ability.

I completed written activities to the best of my ability.

I listened courteously and stayed focused and on task.

I listened courteously and stayed focused and on task.

I listened courteously and stayed focused and on task.

I listened courteously and stayed focused and on task.

My own reflection – My own reflection – My own reflection – My own reflection –

LIST OF NOVELS

The Golden Door

Dragon Keeper

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Song for a Scarlett Runner

Ingo

Howl’s Moving Castle

Skellig

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Wizard of Earthsea

The Golden Compass / Northern Lights