Hi Kathy,  

    I am interesting in your ideas. Do you mind sharing your prompts? I have a sec 5 this year and I am looking for ways to have a journal activity implemented .

       Regards,

     Jimmy

William,

Perhaps check out the bookStrategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis it is helpful. The Harvey Daniels book on Literature Circles:Voice and Choice in the Student Centered Classroom might help you rethink your literature circle issues. Good Reading.

Chris C.

Perhaps your students are doing too much reading: they read for homework and still sit in class expected to read and respond to written tasks. What about a role play- reader's theater. Which kid doesn't like a good show?!

I am initiating the MILLION WORD CHALLENGE this year for a portion of our reading curriculum. For 6th graders, this is equivalent to 25 150 page novels. Look it up online!

Kathy, I'd be interested in seeing your journal prompts if you are still interested in sharing them. I teach 7th and 8th grade reading and I'm always looking for new and different ideas. Thanks.

I found the same thing when I started doing lit circles with the individual jobs. Now my students complete a journal every time they read an assigned section of the book. In the journal they include a summary of what they read and a response to a prompt I pose. In the group they share both. They also have a list of questions to discuss in their groups. This has worked much better. Sometimes I give them a short group activity also, like a charcter web, etc... I can share my journal prompts and guidelines for discussions if you are interested.

My school district doesn't have a set reading program for sixth grade teachers. I have done literature circles, class reads, and reading comprehension strategies in the past, and yet feel that my students either aren't thrilled about them or don't participate in the reading we are doing. What suggestions do you have? My literature circles have been a disaster. Each student is assigned to a specific job each day they discuss, but half my students don't care to do the page. That creates a really short and worthless discussion. I would really like to know what you are doing in the classroom so I could get ideas. William, USA