about Daily Five

We LOVE Daily Five time!  If your child comes home and talks about it, I am so thrilled!  Daily Five is our literacy block in our classroom.  It is not a program, but a management system that allows students to work on authentic reading practice while I meet with small groups and individual students.  In the beginning of the year, we will spend a great deal of time learning how to "bee"have (and how to NOT behave!) during Daily Five time.  This explicit teaching of behavior allows Daily Five time to run smoothly, as all students know exactly what to do, so that I can focus my attention on very individualized reading instruction.

During Daily Five time, students will participate in a 100-minute block of teacher led mini-lessons on reading strategies, phonics, and grammar- all of which come from our reading series ("Treasures").  Students also will participate in self-selected literacy activities.  Your child will come to love and crave this time each day to "bee"come a fantastic reader and writer!


This is the choice board where students will make their literacy choices each morning.   I do take a quick "role call" and mark my students' choices on a check sheet before dismissing kids to each round, but having this visual in the classroom helps each student know what they need to do and helps keep them organized in their choices.


These are the literacy choice cards that we use.

Ready to see us in action?
Read to self
Students each have a book box full of "right fit" books that they read from during read to self.


Read to someone
Students can practice developing their fluency by reading to someone.  This student is holding a cardstock "check" so she remembers to check her partner's understanding.
 
Work on writing
Students work on original stories, lists, poems, letters, etc... during work on writing.  The writing area is stocked with idea starters, decorative papers, pens, markers, and spelling aides.
 
Work on words
Students practice weekly spelling and vocabulary words through hands-on activities like Wikki Sticks, using magnets and stamps to make words, dot makers, and letter cutouts.  They can also practice sight words.
 
Click here for a list of the activities you can choose from!
Listen to reading
Students use Leap Pads, TAG pens, RAZ-kids.com, CD players, and tape players to listen to fluent reading.
 

Daily Five Schedule
10 minutes
Whole group
Spelling or vocabulary mini-lesson:  This will focus on whatever skill or strategy we are working on for the week.  Many of the skills and strategies will come from our reading series.
20 minutes
Small group
Reading groups, strategy groups, individual reading conferences:  Students are engaged in the independent literacy choices listed above while I meet with small groups and individual students.  Each student will be assigned a small group based on their reading level.  I will meet with each group two to three times a week.  When our group is finished, I will work with flexible strategy groups and individual students on reading strategies.  I may also call grade level groups at this time to work on grade-specific skills.
10 minutes
Whole group
Reading mini-lesson:  This will focus on specific comprehension strategies which I will select based on students' needs, our reading series, and the list on our CAFE page.  I will explicitly model comprehension skills through read-alouds.  Students will also have opportunities to practice using the skills.
20 minutes
Small group
Reading groups, strategy groups, individual reading conferences
10 minutes
Whole group
Grammar mini-lesson:  During this time, we often play group games to practice grammar skills.  We also work on grammar skills during our Morning Meeting.  We may also do accuracy, fluency, or expanding vocabulary lessons during this time (see CAFE page for a list of skills).
20 minutes
Small group
Reading groups, strategy groups, individual reading conferences
10 minutes
Whole group
Group sharing:  Ideally, we would share for 10 minutes at the end of Daily Five time.  However, this time often becomes "extra" time for me when rounds or mini-lessons run over!  On occasion, students are able to share how they used different strategies today in their reading.  They may also share what they wrote about, read, listened to, or completed during word work.

Don't try and implement this on your own!  Please read the book by The Sisters!


 
 
 

© Christina Bainbridge 

You may not copy any wording, formatting, or images from this site.

graphics © Thistle Girl Designs