Third Grade Begins Lit Circles after Success of 2017–18 Pilot Program

Following the success of the lit circles pilot program in third and fifth grades last year—funded by the Brandeis Innovation Grants program—lit circles are again being incorporated into the reading curriculum. Lit circles, which combine our students' love of reading with their passion for talking, meet every week and are facilitated by teachers. “Our pilot program in 2017–18 showed positive results around reading and book talking among the third and fifth grade classes,” says Lori Galante, third grade teacher and reading and writing program chair. “Among some of the feedback we received were comments from students that stated, ‘That everyone got a chance to share’ and lit circles enabled them to ‘bond with other students over books.’” Additionally, lit circles provide students with a great opportunity to develop their own insights into books while learning to build on the opinions of others.

 

This year, third graders are diving right into lit circles, reading the graphic novel Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell. “Graphic novels make great lit circle selections, as readers can discuss, among other things, how the art helps tell the story and relays emotions, how the panel placement helps tell the story, and how the text and images work together to guide the reader through the story,” adds Ms. Galante. MORE PHOTOS