Learn the standard literature-circle discussion roles and apply one role to a discussion of an independent reading book.
A literature circle is a small group in which every member reads the same book or section and each takes on a specific role to structure the discussion, rather than talking about the book in a free-form, unfocused way. Roles typically rotate from meeting to meeting, so over time everyone practices every skill.
Four roles cover most of what a strong discussion needs. The Discussion Director writes genuinely open questions to drive the conversation, using the same seminar skills from Week 8. The Connector links the book to outside events, other books, or personal experience. The Literary Luminary, or Passage Picker, selects a few specific passages worth reading aloud and explains why each one matters. The Summarizer recaps the section's events clearly, for anyone who needs a refresher before the discussion begins.
Mastery looks like: They can describe all four literature-circle roles accurately and can produce genuine, specific material for at least one role using their own independent reading book.
Common stumbles: Confusing the Connector role with simply saying "I liked this part"; producing a Discussion Director question that actually has only one correct answer.