Have you ever read a good book, and you wanted the opportunity to tell someone about it? My students have become so excited about reading, and the reason is they are able to discuss what they're reading within a small group called a literature circle.
I live in a rural area in northern West Virginia where many of my students have not experienced life outside of their own little corner of the world.
Literature expands their world, and reading great novels provides them with an opportunity to travel to places without leaving home. As a middle school teacher, I have witnessed many students who have been excited about literature, and their excitement about books have inspired many of their classmates to choose the same title to read during independent reading time. I want to encourage my students to read and discuss their books in a small group setting where they can collaborate and discuss in order to extend their comprehension.
My Project
I am asking for a set of novels so my students can engage in a researched comprehension strategy known as 'literature circles'. In a literature circle group, students are assigned a reading and a task to complete before the next group meeting. Students are assigned groups heterogeneously in order to get the most benefit from the book discussion. Tasks include 'discussion director' where a student is in charge of writing 5-6 thought-provoking, discussion questions that each group member discusses. The 'illustrator' chooses a chapter or scene from the book, creates an illustration, and then guides the group on a discussion of that scene. The 'word finder' is responsible for building the vocabulary of the group by finding 5-6 words in the reading. The 'connector' is responsible for identifying text-to-self and text-to-world connections, and then leads the group discussion to broaden everyone's understanding of the reading. Finally, the 'correspondent's' job is to write a summary.
This project is very important to not only me, but my students as well.
Research proves that collaboration leads to an increase in comprehension. Literature circles provide my students with a proven comprehension strategy where they can broaden their knowledge of the world around them and give them an avenue in which to discuss books with their peers. Thank you for considering my project.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Pryor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.