Reading Assignment and Role Planner

Use this planner to prepare for each literature circle meeting.

Literature Circles
Meeting Reading
Roles
Date Assignment

Predictor: every meeting

Questioner: every meeting
Specific Role:
Journal
Predictor: every meeting
Questioner: every meeting
Specific Role:

Predictor: every meeting

Questioner: every meeting
Specific Role:

Predictor: every meeting

Questioner: every meeting
Specific Role:

Predictor: every meeting

Questioner: every meeting
Specific Role:
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Predictor: every meeting

Questioner: every meeting Name:
Specific Role:

Book Title:
Predictor: every meeting
Questioner: every meeting Author:
Specific Role:

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 What will you do when you are Discussion Leader next time?
Write your notes below.
Journal Discussion Leader What I liked and would do again

During the Literature Circle, your job is to keep the

discussion going and to make sure everyone has a chance
to share ideas.
Begin the discussion with questions like these:
“Will the Summarizer please tell what the selection is mostly about?”
“Who wants to share a prediction?”
“Who has a question to share?”
Ask students with different roles to share their ideas.
“Will the Skill Master for Compare and Contrast please share ideas?”
“Now it’s the Wordsmith’s turn. Which words did you choose?” What I would change next time

Wrap up the discussion with questions like these:

“Do you have any more questions to discuss?”
“Let’s decide what we’ll read next. Which pages of the selection will
we choose?”
“What predictions do you have about the next part?”

After you lead the discussion, tell about your job.

  I knew what to do most of   S

 ometimes I wasn’t sure
the time. what to do.
Questions to ask the teacher
  E
 veryone had a chance to   S
 ome members did not
participate. participate.
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  I called on everyone who   S
 ome students with roles
had a role. did not share ideas.

  I thought the discussion   I did not think the

was fun. discussion was fun.

  I helped the group plan for   T

 he meeting ended before
the next meeting. we planned for the next one.

student journal  www.readinga-z.com 1 2 Discussion Leader  student journal

 Prediction

Journal Predictor Prediction

The predictor role is for all readers. In this role, you predict
Clues or evidence to support it
by making connections with what you already know and
the selection.
Before you read, preview the selection. Think about the title,
pictures, headings, charts, and other clues. Use them to make Revision or change to the prediction
predictions about the topic, characters, and key ideas.
As you read, you may find information that is different from
what you expected. Then you need to revise your prediction.
Was the prediction correct, incorrect, or partially correct? Why?
After you read, ask “Was my prediction correct, incorrect, or
partially correct?”

Record your predictions below.

Prediction

Prediction Prediction

Prediction

Clues or evidence to support it

Clues or evidence to support it

Revision or change to the prediction

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Revision or change to the prediction

Was the prediction correct, incorrect, or partially correct? Why?

Was the prediction correct, incorrect, or partially correct? Why?

student journal  www.readinga-z.com 1 2 Predictor  student journal

 Record Questions, Continued

Journal Questioner Questions after reading

The questioner role is for all readers. In this role, you ask Answers
questions to understand the selection better.
Before you read, preview the selection and record questions such as
“What do I already know about this topic or situation?” and “What
do I want to know about this?” Record Questions

During reading, pause when you don’t understand a part or when Before you read, preview the text and record your questions.
a question pops into your mind. Write those questions. During reading, record questions that come to mind. After reading,
record questions and answers about the whole selection.
After reading, check that you understand what you read. Ask
“What was the most important idea?” in nonfiction. Ask about Questions before reading
the setting, characters, plot, and theme in fiction. Discuss answers
with the group.
Answers
Record your questions below.

Record Questions Questions during reading

Before you read, preview the selection and record your questions.
During reading, record questions that come to mind. After reading,
record questions and answers about the whole selection. Answers

Questions before reading

Questions after reading

Answers
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Answers

Questions during reading

Which questions were not answered? Why?

Answers

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 Compare and Contrast

Journal Skill Master:

Compare and Contrast
Record two items to compare and contrast. Then write details that
show how they are alike and different.
Item #1 Item #2
As you read the selection, notice important things to
compare and contrast. These items may be important
characters, topics, problems, or ideas in what you read. How are they alike?
To compare, choose two items and focus on details that tell you how
they are alike. When you talk about the comparisons, use words and
phrases such as alike, same as, similar to, and compared to.
To contrast, choose two items and focus on details that show how
they are different. When you contrast two things, use words and How are they different?
phrases such as but, different from, in contrast, on the one hand,
and on the other hand.

Record your items below.

Compare and Contrast

Record two items to compare and contrast. Then write details that
show how they are alike and different. Compare and Contrast
Item #1 Item #2 Record two items to compare and contrast. Then write details that
show how they are alike and different.
Item #1 Item #2
How are they alike?

How are they alike?

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How are they different?

How are they different?

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 Main Idea and Details

Journal Skill Master:

Main Idea and Details
Write what the topic is in the part of the selection you are reading.
Topic

As you read, figure out the main idea about the topic. Also,
look for details that support the main idea. State the main idea about the topic.
To find the main idea, ask “What is the most important idea about Page # Paragraph # Line #
the topic in this part of the selection?” If the main idea is stated
Main Idea
directly in the selection, use the author’s words to talk about it. If
the main idea is implied, or not stated directly, use your own words.
State the main idea in a complete sentence.
Record details that support the main idea.
Look for details that support the main idea. Details may be facts,
examples, description, or other information. Details tell more about Page # Paragraph # Line #
the main idea. Supporting Detail
Record information about the main ideas and supporting Page # Paragraph # Line #
details below.
Supporting Detail

Main Idea and Details Main Idea and Details

Write what the topic is in the part of the selection you are reading. Write what the topic is in the part of the selection you are reading.
Topic Topic

State the main idea about the topic. State the main idea about the topic.
Page # Paragraph # Line # Page # Paragraph # Line #
Main Idea Main Idea
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Record details that support the main idea. Record details that support the main idea.
Page # Paragraph # Line # Page # Paragraph # Line #
Supporting Detail Supporting Detail
Page # Paragraph # Line # Page # Paragraph # Line #
Supporting Detail Supporting Detail

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 Research

Journal Researcher Record what you will research, how you will find information, and
the information you found.
Page # Paragraph # Line #
As you read, notice parts that need more background. Topic that needs Information
How to research
Then do research and present interesting information to more background to share
the group.
To figure out what to research, think about what is unfamiliar to
readers. Choose something you are curious about or interested in.
Connect your reading to your research. What will you discover
more about? Try these: the history, location, climate, or culture of
the setting. You can tell facts about the past, present, or future time
period. You can use music, comics, or photographs from the time
period. You can also show pictures of real objects, places, people, or
animals from the selection.

Record the information from your research below.

Research
Record what you will research, how you will find information, and Research
the information you found. Record what you will research, how you will find information, and
Page # Paragraph # Line #
the information you found.
Topic that needs Information Page # Paragraph # Line #
How to research
more background to share Topic that needs Information
How to research
more background to share
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 Summary Paragraph

Journal Summarizer Combine your ideas into a brief summary. Write it below.

As you read, pick out the most important ideas in a selection.
Then write the ideas in a brief summary and share it with
your group. Let other students discuss the summary and add
their ideas.
After you read, check that you understand the big ideas, details, and
examples you just read. Figure out which are the most important
ideas and state what the selection is mostly about.
If you are reading nonfiction, look at how the article or passage is
organized. Choose the most important events, the problem and
solution, or the main ideas. For fiction, briefly tell about the main
characters, the setting, the plot events, and the conflict. Use your
own words when you summarize.

Write your summary from the important ideas below.

Information for the Summary

Important ideas, events, problems
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 Wordsmith

Journal Wordsmith Word Page # Paragraph # Line #

Reason for choosing

As you read, focus on words that have a strong effect on you
Definition
and other readers. Then discuss them with the group.
Read the words you listed on your bookmark. Choose three words
that are the most interesting, funny, surprising, confusing, puzzling, Plan for sharing the word
powerful, or important.
Plan how to share the words with your group. First, tell why you
chose a word. Then use one or more of these ways to share it:
•  Illustrate the word or act it out.
•  Share the dictionary definition and use the word in your
own sentence.
•  Compare the word to its synonyms.
•  Discuss how the word creates emotions and feelings in readers
and how the word appeals to hearing, smell, or other senses.
•  Show how the word connects to a different book, a TV program, Wordsmith
or a movie you know about.
Word Page # Paragraph # Line #
Choose three words and complete the charts.
Reason for choosing
Wordsmith
Definition
Word Page # Paragraph # Line #
Reason for choosing
Plan for sharing the word
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Definition

Plan for sharing the word

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