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Student-Centered
Reading: A Review of the Research on Literature Circles
by
Tanya Auger, author of Next Stop: Reading in Different Genres |
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Tens
of thousands of teachers and millions of students now take part
in student-centered literature circles, also called book clubs
or literature study groups, and the research on this phenomenon
is on the rise (Daniels, 2002). Studies have shown that when
students are involved in authentic conversation about literature,
they are
more engaged in their reading (Alpert, 1987; Enciso, 1996), and
they take more risks (Eeds & Wells, 1989). During small-group
discussions, students voice emotional responses to literature
(King, 2001). Literature circles also promote students’ motivation
to read and have been shown to improve students’ reading
levels and performance on tests (Davis, Resta, Davis, & Camacho,
2001). Another key feature of literature circles is the role
they play in fostering and supporting personal and divergent
interpretations
of texts, which is the focus of this article.
In
the effort to “get” an
author’s meaning
or, rather, what the teacher perceives to be the author’s
meaning, students’ personal interpretations of literature
may be lost or, worse, never elicited (Baker & Freebody,
1989; Hynds, 1992). When a teacher dominates a literature discussion,
asking brief, “known-information” questions
or applauding only certain responses to supposedly open-ended
inquiries, students learn to seek the teacher’s understanding
of the text rather than to construct their own interpretations
(Alpert,
1987; Baker & Freebody, 1989; Hynds, 1992).
Researchers
have concluded that when teachers and students engage in student-centered
conversations about literature, different
understandings of a text may be constructed and shared, yielding
richer readings
of a text (Eeds & Wells, 1989). Such peer-led conversations
about literature require initial class discussions about the
differences between authentic dialogue and traditional question/answer
sessions.
These initial discussions should also include teacher-modeling
of authentic conversation (Raphael & McMahon, 1994). For
example, rather than alternating speakers “round-robin” style,
students can be guided to generate questions that elicit elaboration,
evidence, or alternative interpretations from their peers.
In
describing the transition from traditional, teacher-led discussion
to authentic, student-centered conversation, researchers have
emphasized the teacher’s role in coaching students to examine
and refine both their interactions with their peers and their
interpretations
of the text (Wiencek and O’Flahavan, 1994). This is a crucial
factor, as some studies have revealed that students in peer-led
discussion groups can recreate the one-dimensional discourse
patterns found in traditional, teacher-led discussions rather
than conversations
in which multiple interpretations are offered and respected (Evans,
1996). Also, students who view themselves as weak readers or
who have little or no experience in an interactive classroom
are often
uncomfortable with or resistant to student-centered dialogue
(Wollman-Bonilla, 1994).
Such
findings point to the need for careful scaffolding and coaching
of students at an early age
(Wiencek & O’Flahavan, 1994),
as well as the importance of encouraging peer collaboration (Angeletti,
1991) and valuing students’ literary insights—even
interpretations that appear idiosyncratic—in order to promote
deeper and richer readings of texts (Hynds, 1992).
Download
this article as an Adobe PDF file:
[2
page, 56kb Adobe PDF File] |
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Next Stop:
Reading in Different Genres, by Tanya Auger
Grades 4–7
Help
young readers recognize various literary genres and story
conventions, and prepare them for the more challenging
literature they will encounter in later grades. The Next
Stop series provides an excellent bridge from emergent
readers to trade and chapter books, and promotes discussion
of literature in classrooms, reading groups, and in literature
circles.
A
corresponding workbook supports each set of chapter books
with clear definitions and discussions
of the genres, characters,
and events from the each story. Activities build word
knowledge, comprehension, grammar, and writing skills.
More open-ended
exercises encourage students to draw conclusions, compare
and contrast the stories to their own lives, record what
they've learned through graphic organizers, and return
to the text for closer readings.
Next
Stop supports the NCTE/IRA National English Language
Arts standards, which
recognize the importance of being
able to identify different literary genres in the early
grades.
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Free
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This
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Animal
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Folktales
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Animal
Passages
[6 page,
156kb Adobe PDF File]
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Folktales
from Around the World
[11 page,
240kb Adobe PDF File]
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