Using Literature Circles for Developing Reading Comprehension Skills

The current study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using literature circles strategy for developing reading comprehension skills. The sample of the study consisted of 80 students enrolled in the first year of Kafr Saad secondary School located in Damietta governorate. The sample's ages ranged between 15-16 years old. The sample was randomly selected then assigned into two intact groups: the experimental group (N=40) and the control group (N=40). The students of the experimental group received training through a proposed program based on literature circles; meanwhile the students of the control group received regular instruction. Two instruments were designed by the researchers, then used to collect data related to the experiment: (a) A checklist of EFL reading comprehension skills necessary for developing first year secondary stage students' reading, and (b) A pre-post reading comprehension skills test to measure reading comprehension skills before and after implementing the suggested treatment. The treatment was conducted during the first term of 2016 for three months. The content of the suggested program was taught in 34 sessions, (three sessions per week). Analyzing the results collected via the pre-post tests revealed mainly that that there were statistically significant differences at 0.05 level between the mean scores of the control and the experimental groups on the post- test, in favor of the latter concerning overall reading comprehension as well as each single reading comprehension sub-skill. It could be concluded that literature circle strategy is effective in developing students' reading comprehension skills. Pedagogical implications as well as suggestions for further research were provided.