When students are reading books in groups (either guided groups or literature circles), a strategy called Reciprocal Teaching is very effective for grades 3/4 and up.
Students implement the "big 4" reading strategies of summarizing, questioning, predicting, and connecting as they read. Then, in their groups, each student takes on the role of discussion leader of one of the strategies, rotating through all of the strategies. This opportunity for students to implement their strategies while reading and for discourse with respect to the reading afterward is essential to comprehension.
http://home.comcast.net/~saponaro/rtplus.doc
Students implement the "big 4" reading strategies of summarizing, questioning, predicting, and connecting as they read. Then, in their groups, each student takes on the role of discussion leader of one of the strategies, rotating through all of the strategies. This opportunity for students to implement their strategies while reading and for discourse with respect to the reading afterward is essential to comprehension.
http://home.comcast.net/~saponaro/rtplus.doc