"I used to be a bad reader but now I
am a good reader."
"...because I learned stuff."
"...because we read together."
"...because there is [sic] bigger
words in the books."
"I learned that when you are a reader you can do a lot
of things. Yes, I think that literature circles
helped me be a gooder [sic] reader."
"...because now I can read better."
These boys expressed that literature circles had a positive influence on how they perceived themselves as readers.
One boy didn't feel that literature circles had any effect on his reading ability. He commented that he read the same before he had literature circles. This boy was already confident in his reading ability and did prove to be reading above the grade four level.
Based on this analysis, literature circles are an appropriate literacy strategy to engage boys and help them develop a positive perception of themselves as readers. Although this strategy was implemented with grade four students, literature circles are an appropriate literacy strategy from elementary grades through to adulthood (Daniels, 1994, 2002; Routman, 1991). The researchers have also successfully engaged teachers and pre-service teachers in literature circles during workshops, Summer Institutes and university courses.
Teacher and student evaluation of literature circles is an area of this project that needed further development. The teachers were more concerned with the process at this point than the product. Resources such as rubrics and checklists were provided for the use of teachers and students to evaluate student progress. However, the teachers were not observed utilizing them. The researchers anticipate that as the teachers take ownership for the literature circles process that this component will be included and valued.