!
!

!

!

USING&LITERATURE&CIRCLES&FOR&INTENSIVE&READING&ASSESSMENT'IN'AN'EMERGENCY'REMOTE'TEACHING'CONTEXT!
!
!

Claire'Bower!
Kanda%University%of%International%Studies!
!

INTRODUCTION!
!

“Reading) should! not$ be$ presented$ to$ children$ as$ a$ chore…it" should" be" offered" as" a" gift”"(Fresch,)2016,)p.167).)Author)Kate)DiCamillo’s)sentiment)is)likely)shared)by)reading)teachers)
everywhere,(regardless(of(their(learners’(ages.(Yet(reading(is(perhaps(not(always(perceived#as# a# gift# by# their# students,# especially# when# they# are# presented# with# unfamiliar# texts# in# a#foreign( language.( Combining( this( challenge( with( the( current( demands( of( learning( in( a(pandemic)is)unlikely)to)increase)a)reluctant)student’s)motivation.)Nevertheless,#university#
life% continues,% and% students% and% teachers% must% each% do% their% best% to% succeed% in% their%
education*and*provide*quality*lessons,*respectively.*!
!

One$ method' of# actively) engaging) students) with) literature) is) via$ reading$ circles.$ The$
collaborative+and+flexible+nature+of+reading+circles+makes+them+a+popular+activity+in+both+first+
and$ second$ language$ English$ literacy$ classrooms$ worldwide.$ The$ activity$ described$ here$explains) how) a) traditional) reading) circle) activity) was) successfully) adapted& for& an& online&
context' and' used' to' assess' intensive' reading.' This' paper' first' briefly'outlines' the' reading'circle&concept&and&advantages,&then&details&the&setup&and&execution,&and&finally&discusses&the&outcomes(of(the(activity(for(the(students(and(teacher."!
!

READING(CIRCLES:(BACKGROUND(AND(BENEFITS!
!

Reading(circles,(also(known(as(literature(circles,(are(“small,&peer!led$discussions”!(Daniels,*2002)$involving$students$who$have$all$read$the$same$text,$but$considered$it$from$a$different$role,&or!perspective,&from&which&they&base&meaningful&interaction&about&said&text.&Traditional&forms&see&the&students&collaboratively&negotiate&their&circle&roles&and&select&a&text&to&read.&
They%read%it%independently%and%use%the%role%sheet%to%record%their%ideas%and%reactions$ahead$of#the#group#discussion.#The#roles#may#vary#across#classrooms,#but#this%activity%employs%the%Oxford' University' Press' (n.d.)' model," in" which" the" core" roles" are:" Discussion" Leader," the"discussion(facilitator;(Summariser,(who(prepares(a(summary;(Passage%Person,%who$chooses$and$explains$interesting$passages;!Word%Master,%who$locates$important$vocabulary;$Culture'Collector,!who$finds$similarities$and$differences$between$the$text’s$culture$and$their$own!and$Connector,"who$finds$connections(with%the$outside(world.!Ideally,(the(activity(is(repeated(to(allow%everyone%to%perform%every%role.!
!

Research(has(shown(that(reading(circles(have(benefits(for(students(beyond(enhanced(reading(ability,( including(improved(thinking(and(communication(skills.(Principally!student!led,% the%circle&roles& provide& scaffolding&upon&which&to& build& conversation,& allowing&participants& to&forge& their& own& connections& and& develop& their& own& questions& without& prompt& from& the&teacher!(Brabham(&(Kidd,(2000).(As(well(as(making(meaningful(contributions,(they(must(also(!
6.	  U!sing	  Literature	  Circles	  for	  Intensive	  Reading	  Assessment	  in	  an	  !Emergency	  Remote	  Teaching	  Context.	  Claire	  Bower.	  Pages	  29-­‐32.	  
!
Literacies	  &	  Language	  Education:	  Research	  &	  Practice,	  2020	  Special	  Section:	  Teaching	  During	  a	  Pandemic.	  English	  Language	  Institute,	  KUIS.

!
!

!

!

adhere&to&social&conventions&of&turn&taking,&while&simultaneously&sustaining&the&discussion&flow.& This& is& a& demanding& task& that& promotes& multiple& skill& utilization! and$ contributes( to!
making'the'reading!active.(!
!

PROCEDURE!!
!

The$activity$was$implemented$twice$during$the$semester:$Once$in$the$middle$and$again$at$
the$end.$By$introducing$and$repeating$it$relatively$late$into$the$term,$it$allowed$the$students$
more%time%to%familiarise%themselves%with%both%online%learning%and%their%peers,%which%helped%
construct(a(receptive(environment(for(the(task.(The(entire(reading(circle(process(took(place(
over%two%lessons&and!served&as&that&week’s&main&topic.&The&description&outlined&below&is&
based$on$the$midterm$circle.$!
!

Using&a&Reading&Circle&for&Assessment!
Students(in#the$second'year'reading'course'were'assessed'on'intensive'and'extensive'reading'
over%the%semester.%Due%to%its%analytical%yet%communicative%nature,%it%was%decided%that%using%a"reading&circle&to&grade&intensive'reading'would'be'both'a'suitable'assessment'method'and'an#economical#use#of#lesson#time.#To#alleviate#the#stress#of#a#new#assessment#style,#students#
received'full'marks'for'participation,'role'sheet'completion'and'reflection!submission(for(the(first& reading& circle.& Once& acquainted( with% the$ task,$ an$ adaptation$ of$ Daniels’$ (2006)$
performance* assessment* style* rubric* was* formulated* for* future* use* in* the* second* circle*(Table'1).!
!
Table&1.!
!
LITERATURE(CIRCLES(SCORING(GUIDE!
Criteria!
Value!
Do#the#reading#and$participate!fully!in#the#circle!
50!
Submit'a'completed'role'sheet'and'have$good$ideas$!
35!
Submit'a'reflection!
15!
!

Text%and%Role%Groups!
Unlike'a'traditional'reading'circle,'the'students'did'not'choose'the'text'themselves.'This'was'partly'due'to'the'time'and'material'restrictions'of'emergency'remote'teaching,'as'well'as'enabling( the( teacher( to( grade( the( task( more( consistently.( As( an( additional$ small$ but$
significant) factor,) it) permitted) a) timely) opportunity) to) introduce) and) analyse) a) low!tier!
appropriate(text(by(a(writer(of(colour:(Dora’s'Turn,"by"Jackee"Budesta"Batanda."In"all"three"classes&the&teacher&randomly&assembled&four&reading&circle&groups'of'five'to'six'members,'
depending' on' the' class' size,' and' assigned' each' member' one' of' the$ reading( circle( roles&described(above.!
!
Four!stage&Approach!
In# order# to# reduce# the# burden# on# the# students# of# undertaking# a# new# assessed# task,# an#
important)objective$was$to$fully$utilise,$ yet$remain$ within,! the$180$ minutes$ allocated$ to$a$
twice&a&week!class,&and&to&achieve&as&much&transparency&as&possible&in&set&up&and&execution.&
There%were%four%stages%to%the%activity:!
!
Pre!task%Setup%(45%minutes)!
!
!

!

!

!
!

!

!

Before&the&first&lesson,&the&students&watched&a&pre!recorded&Loom&video&lecture,&where&they&learned'about'the'concept'and'purpose'of'reading'circles,(the(details(of(each(role,(and(how(the$ task$ would$ take$ shape.$ Their$ groups! and$ assigned$ roles! were$ published" on" Google"
Classroom(a(week(in(advance,(alongside(the(designated(reading(circle(text,(template(copies(of#the# role#sheets,#and#a#support#document# demonstrating#model# examples# of# each# role.#
They%were%requested%to%confirm%their%group%and%role,%then!read%the%text$once$before$Lesson$
One."A"space"for"questions"was"provided"on"Google"Classroom"for"support.!
!

Lesson&One:"Collaborative"Role"Preparation"(45"minutes)!
The$students$and$teacher$met$synchronously$on$Zoom,$where$the$teacher$briefly$outlined$
the$aims$of$the$session$and$demonstrated$how$to$locate$and$make$a$copy$of$the$role$sheet.$
Students( then( worked( in( breakout( rooms( in( their( role( groups( (i.e.$ Connectors$ together,'Summarisers) together,) etc.)." They" reread" the" text," then" discussed" and" shared" their" ideas"
about& their& role.& The& teacher& entered& each& breakout& room,& listening& to& the& exchanges,&
praising(good(ideas(and(asking(concept!checking(or!other&open!ended$questions%as%a%means%of#assisting#and#scaffolding#where#required.#The#students#were#permitted#to#use#the#same#ideas&on&their&role&sheets&as&a&means&of&fostering&a&more&peer!led,%collaborative%environment.!
!

Lesson&Two:"The"Reading"Circle"(30!40#minutes)!
In# order! for$ the$ teacher$ to$ more$ comprehensively$ observe$ the$ reading$ circles,$ they$ were$
staggered(so(two(groups(participated(at(a(time.(Each(reading(circle(took(place(in(a(breakout(room,% and% the% teacher% moved% back% and% forth% between% them,% mostly% just% listening% and%making'notes,'but'occasionally'stepping'in'to'ensure'all'members'had'a'chance'to'talk.'At'
the$end$of$the$activity,$everyone$returned$to$the$main$session$for$some$closing$remarks,$and$
to#confirm#the#procedure#for#the#last#stage.#!
!

Post!task%Reflection%(20%minutes)!
The$students$completed$a$short$reflection$inquiring$how$much$they$enjoyed$the$circle$and$
how$well$they$think$they$performed.$The$purpose$was$to$gauge$their$reaction$to$the$task,$
as#well#compare#their#evaluations#with#the#teacher’s.!
!

OUTCOMES!
!

Overall,#the#activity#proved#popular#with#most#of#the#learners,#and#served#as#a#time!efficient'method'of'assessing'intensive'reading.'The'students’'post!task%reflection%feedback%revealed%
the$most$enjoyable$aspect$was$the$opportunity$for$extended$interaction$where#they#could#hear% a% range% of% ideas% and% opinions% from% their% peers% and% compare% them% with% their% own.%
Generally,)students)welcomed)the)divergence)from)the)usual)weekly)routine)and)expressed)a"willingness"to"repeat"the"reading"circle."This"change"in"schedule"was#equally#refreshing#for#
the$teacher,$and!advantageous+to+observe+the+learners+more+thoroughly+than+was+usually+
possible,"as"there"were"only"two"breakout"rooms"to"watch!instead(of(seven(to(ten."!
!

Time% management% was% the% main% challenge% during% the% task.% Several% Discussion% Leaders%struggled)to#reclaim#control#from#very#talkative#members,#or#they#systematically*asked&every&member% to% answer% every% question,% until% receiving( some% gentle% intervention% from% the#teacher.( Additionally,( among( the( roles( that( required( question( preparation,( there( was(sometimes'a'tendency'to'ask'closed'or'leading'questions'that'did'not'promote'in!depth&or&interesting(discussion.(As(this(was(the(first(reading(circle(for(most,(neither(of#these#trends#!
!

!

!

!
!

!

!

were$ surprising.$ They$ were$ addressed$ in$ individual$ feedback$ comments$ on$ Google$Classroom,)and)also)referred)to)more)generally)in)whole)class)post!task%feedback,%where%the%students'were'encouraged'to'view'them'as'things'for'everyone'to'work'together'on'for'the'next%circle.!
!
Limitations!!
If#a#student#joins!the$circle$from$a$noisy$environment,$it#negatively*affects'the$entire$group’s$
experience,"and"is" particularly"troublesome"if"it"occurs"during"assessed" activities."This! is# a#general' caveat' of' online' learning,' but$ thankfully,! tends& to& be& rare.& Emphasising& the&importance+of+showing+respect+to+group+members+is+probably+an+effective+strategy+to+avoid+
this%happening.%!
!
!

REFERENCES!
!

Brabham,(E.(G.,(&(Villaume,(S.(K.((2000).(Continuing&conversations&about&literature&circles.&
The$Reading$Teacher,"54(3),%278.!https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A67494687/AONE?u=sussex&sid!
=AONE&xid=83c2278b!!
!
Daniels,)H.)(2002).)Literature(circles:(Voice(and(choice&in&book#clubs%and%reading'groups."
Stenhouse)Publishers.!
!

Daniels,)H.)(2006))Literature(circles:(Voice(and(choice&in&book#clubs%and%reading'groups&by&Harvey'Daniels.!https://www.stenhouse.com/sites/default/files/public/legacy/pdfs/0333ho.pdf!
!

Fresch,(M.(J.((2017).(Strategies)of)Effective)Balanced)Literacy.)Shell.&https://books.google.co.jp!
/books?id=q0NCDgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false!

!
Oxford'University'Press.'(n.d.).'Reading(Circles(Role(Sheets.(http://newdoc.nccu.!edu.tw!
/teasyllabus/113646032019/reading_circle_role_sheet.pdf!
!

!
!

!

!