These strategies were modeled repeatedly by the researchers and teachers. This prompted the students to begin recording the page and paragraph of the word for easy reference.

Word Wizard: wolverine, it's on page 75, paragraph 3.
Student 2: (Looked up the word and read the sentence.)
Word Wizard: I don't know why I picked it?
Researcher: Do you know what a wolverine is?
Student 2: I do. It looks like a bear but it's smaller.
Word Wizard: My mom calls them tangerines.
Researcher: I thought a wolverine was like a wolf. How would we find out?
Student 2: Look in a book.
Word Wizard: It has "wolf" in it.
Researcher: Do you have a book in your classroom you could look it up in?
Word Wizard and Student 2: No.
Researcher: What about a dictionary? How would a dictionary help us?
Student 2: It would explain it. Do you want me to get one?
Researcher: Sure.
(Both boys looked up the word in the dictionary, read the definition to the group and showed the picture of a wolverine.)

Students also required modeling to demonstrate how a discussion could be initiated through the Artful Artist role. Most students used their drawing as a 'show and tell'. Presenting the drawing and asking group members what they think the drawing represented was modeled.

Information/nonfiction text was selected as the reading material for the final two literature circles. In order for students to experience nonfiction text in literature circles format, the teachers began by modeling the format. Articles on giraffes, giant pandas, tigers, and manatees were used to model the process for nonfiction/information books. The previous role sheets were abandoned by the teachers and the students completed a response sheet which included the following headings: Classification, Size, Habitat, Food, Appearance, Fun Facts, and Illustration. The teachers requested that a series of books be ordered to support their science curriculum. These texts were provided and used for one of the literature circles cycles.