The emphasis in these discussions focuses on comparing and contrasting texts and finding patterns in a variety of texts. Students will need to give a short summary of what they read before explaining their thinking, when there is a variety of reading material brought to the group. The discussion structures and strategies listed above should be modeled and practiced with students through focus-lessons that give students a chance to observe a group being coached in a discussion of a text, and that allow for guided practice of strategies. Seating Charts Teachers record where each participant is seated, note the incidence of interaction among students, and take brief notes on comments voiced during the discussion. This record-keeping slows the pace of discussion and automatically allows for extended time for thinking and reflecting on participants' comments.
Teachers use questioning to prompt discussion without dominating the conversation.
A main purpose of a literature circle is to have children share their own ideas in response to their reading and hear the ideas of their peers. Teachers can facilitate the discussion by using guiding questions and should try to lead from where students are in their discussion. Students may also use their response journals as a stimulus for discussion. One approach that teachers can use to structure literature discussions is shared inquiry. During the discussions, teachers should allow enough time for students to think before answering and time to rethink their answers based on later discussion.