To begin with, literacy circles are small groups of students who get together to give their opinions of a whole book or text or a fragment of it in a more deep way. By give the students the control of the activity you engage them to make critical thinking and reflection by having them read and discuss the book/text.
They are a really complete activity since they use the four skills as they read the book/text assigned, they write to fill in graphic organizers (which by the way are a great complement for literacy circles) with their ideas, speak as they explain their own ideas and listen to the ideas and opinions of the other members of the circle.
Talking about graphic organizers, they are a similar activity to pre-writing; and the students can put their ideas in order, identify main ideas and express their reflections about the material read, make the student feel more relaxed and put the boredom aside.
Here are some good sites to get ideas for graphic organizers:
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory: Where you can find "Sequence" Graphic Organizers
Worksheet Library: Where you can find "Relational" Graphic Organizers
University of North Alabama: Where you can find "Compare-Contrast" Graphic Organizers
And finally a PBWiki space from a user named "ged578" where you can find "Category/Classification" Graphic Organizers among other types.
What do you think?
Image taken from The New York Public Library Digital Galery webpage
Image Title: Hamilton Fish Park Branch, "Typical scene: Roof reading room," 1910
Author: Hine, Lewis Wickes, 1874-1940 -- Photographer
