ABSTRACT
It can seem pretty daunting to work literature circles into the middle or secondary school program. The typically overstuffed curriculum, brief class periods, and clanging-bell schedule make teachers feel like there just is not time to cram in anything extra or try something new. Like so many language arts teachers, Margaret Forst says that her number-one goal is for students to become lifelong readers and writers. But Maggie backs up these ordinary espousals with extraordinary actions. On the writing side, she has guided one of the nations most honored student literary magazines for more than a decade. Students really love literature circles. They like the comfort of the structure, but also the flexibility of the multiple roles. They see that this one structure can be applied to multiple tasks—small-group reading, read-alouds, required books, or independent reading. They learn that understanding comes from more than one direction.
