Reading circles: Access to classroom conversations

This study examines the effectiveness of Literature Circles, a student-centered and collaborative approach used primarily in the lower grades, as adapted for a community college developmental English reading and writing class composed of students of various ages and literacy levels. This study also examines how such a pedagogical model provides access to useful approaches to challenging textual material for developmental reading and writing students, and how the taking of roles (tasks) as described in Harvey Daniels's Literature Circles affects students' abilities to initiate and carry on their own discussions of texts. Throughout the twelve-week semester from September to December 2005, Levy introduced Reading Circles (Literature Circles renamed) as an integral part of her developmental reading and writing course at Kingsborough Community College. The students read the assigned full-length text in addition to shorter readings. Data was gathered in the form of (i) teacher-researcher reflective journal entries, (ii) student Task Sheets, (iii) student Group Sheets, (iv) student and tutor Reflection Sheets, and (v) scores on various English department and CUNY assessment mechanisms. The data confirmed that Reading Circles can be adapted for a community college developmental English reading and writing classroom and yield positive results. Students' written reflections revealed that their small group conversations initiated by scaffolded Task Sheets encouraged thinking, rethinking and reflecting upon personal and group constructions of meaning about a text. Students' enhanced abilities to tackle and understand challenging textual material was further demonstrated through written essays and final in-class essay. The study additionally revealed that adapting and incorporating the Reading Circle model in this type of classroom requires a teacher's commitment to the model, an understanding of the needs and requirements of the students, and willingness to be flexible on a daily basis. Finally, this study supports and adds to the existing body of research promoting Literature Circles as one way of fostering literacy development.