What are Reading Circles?

A reading circle is a group of people who meet to talk about a book or story they all have read.

Participants in a reading circle can include students, teaching staff, non-teaching staff and even parents, depending on the objectives of the reading circle.

Why organise a reading circle?

A reading circle provides time and space for participants to share their thoughts about books or stories in an informal, participant-led setting.

The structure and accountability of a reading circle encourages participants to read more attentively and to share their ideas with others.

Discussion questions that help connect what they have read to their lives provides opportunities for reflection and the exchange of perspectives.

This helps to develop their identities as readers and create a community of readers.

Types of Reading Circles

For students

Reading circles for students encourage the practice of reading, writing about reading, speaking and listening about what has been read.

They help motivate students to acquire both the habits of reading for pleasure and of working autonomously as they prepare for the group discussion.

Frequent talk about books can help normalise such discussions and encourage more unstructured talk about books outside of the reading circle.

Reading circles comprising students from different levels support a more visible school-wide reading culture and allow students to learn from a broader range of perspectives.

For staff

Depending on the target profile and the type of book being read, reading circles for staff can:

Support a culture of sharing and professional dialogue by having time set aside to read, discuss, and implement current educational and organisational research

Tap into teachers’ love for reading while developing a new understanding of their students’ literacy learning needs.

For students and staff

Reading circles with a mixed group of students and staff can provide novel opportunities for role-modelling, building of student-staff rapport and values education.

When should a reading circle be run?

Reading circles lend themselves well to a variety of arrangements, depending on the objectives of the reading circle and the needs of the participants.

They may be run:

during or after curriculum time;
weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly;
during a fixed period of time (e.g., post-exam period, during a research study project) or throughout the year;
on a voluntary basis or as part of the school’s structured programme for different student profiles.

How should a reading circle be run?

Provide material that is both comprehensible and interesting to the target profile
Set clear expectations, including required preparation, roles of each member and discussion norms

Design meaningful and open-ended discussion questions that elicit both the participants’ understanding of the reading as well as their own thoughts and experiences
Consider different modes of discussion (e.g., in-person/ online/ hybrid, synchronous/ asynchronous) depending on the objectives and participant needs

Students new to reading circles may benefit from synchronous formats that allow them to learn discussion norms and check in with others where necessary

Resources with more specific suggestions on how to organise a reading circle

For students:

For teachers:

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