ABSTRACT
In the ideal classroom, group size would be determined by the number of kids who freely choose a particular book or article. In the everyday practice of literature circles, most students in the room would not be reading their absolute-number-one-choice-in-the-whole-world book—many people will have compromised to make the system work. In the baseline version of literature circles, the teacher typically offers kids a choice of at least six or eight different titles, representing a wide range of reading levels and interests. Time can be tough to find in today’s overstuffed school days. Many teachers divide their literature circle week into reading days and meeting days. Many teachers advise groups to finish their book a day or two before the end of the cycle so they will have time to plan and prepare their product or presentation.
