Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Daily Five


The Daily Five (or literacy station time) is one of my students’ favorite times of the day! During this time, each child is independently engaged in meaningful literacy activities. These activities are research-based, and in addition to increasing student achievement and success in reading, the children also develop a love for books! We begin our ninety minute reading block with explicit whole group instruction, each day focusing on phonics, comprehension strategies, and vocabulary skills. The students are then assigned to“travel groups” and they travel with the same group throughout station time. During the Daily Five, the kids read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to small groups of students. The students move to new stations every 12-15 minutes.
The Daily Five station choices in our classroom:
• Independent Reading
• Writing about Reading
• Buddy Reading
• Listen to Reading
• Word Work
The first 20 days of school we will work on building our reading and writing “stamina,” learning the routines and behavior expectations of the Daily Five, and building our classroom community. I will also spend time learning about my students’ strengths and needs as a reader to ensure their success. During the first 20 days, we will review how to pick “Just Right Books” or books each child can read independently. During literacy stations, the kids will spend a majority of the time reading books they enjoy and are interested in, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading!

10 comments:

Sarah said...

Wish I could pop on over to see this in action in your classroom! Our school has started implementing The Daily 5 but it's been slow going. We've read the book and had professional development meetings about it but some teachers have it down more than others ;)

Anonymous said...

Never saw this before. Love the photgraph idea!!!

Anonymous said...

Do you use the first 20 days from Fountas and Pinnel? If so, how do you put the two together (F&P and Daily 5)?

cassandra said...

I have been working on the daily 5 since school started and I'm still struggling a little bit and i don't know why...it seems as if it should be soo simple. Do you do a lesson, do a station, do a lesson, do a station or do you just do all of your lesson at the beginning and then do all of the stations? How many rotations do you do a day? I feel like I always take too long with the lessons and then we don't have enough time to do all of the stations...what are your suggestions?

Sarah Cooley said...

Hey Cassandra--I have since changed the way this board looks! Due to time, we now are only able to visit 4 stations each day. I do all of my whole group instruction before they go to stations--I just am not able to get into the whole station, carpet, station routine! I also do not allow my kids to choose their stations, but they do get to start with a different station each day. I just modified The Daily Five to work for me and my students. I think the main thing I took out of the book were the 5 choices for practicing reading! I also incorporate many of Debbie Diller's ideas into my stations! I love her! Hope this helps!

Cecelia said...

I've been using Daily 5 for 3 years now and I love it, too. It is waaaaaay easier than managing literacy centers and so much more authentic.
I think the key to keeping lessons short is to remember our little learners cannot sit for much more than 10 minutes and TIME. I finally have it down.

Cecelia
http://ilove1stgrade.blogspot.com/

Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas said...

NYCecelia hit the nail on the head...the darlings, K or 3rd grade, can't sit for very long and don't listen very long. The Daily Five and centers keeps them actively engaged. I love the Daily Five so much and I had such great results that I was a trainer for our school in Texas. Now I'm back in Florida and our kids are soaring, I can't wait for FCAT results....one year I had to do the Daily Four, and that is great, because it is what works for you and your classroom.
I like to do the rotations this way.....
1st nine weeks...they are assigned and I mix them all up.
2nd nine weeks....they are assigned and travel in groups.
3rd nine weeks...their group has to make a choice where they are going next...it helps to teach compromise.
4th nine weeks....they have free choice and it works great...if they take to long to tell me their choice I skip them and they get their act together by the next choice! :)
This 9 weeks way works for me and it has worked with 4th grade bilingual, 2nd grade and now 3rd grade...maybe it will work for y'all!
I also make a big deal out of compromise, if someone says, "OK, I'll change to Read to Others because SusieQ needs a partner!" I make a big deal telling them "YOU get first choice next time!!!" Which is always the listening/computer station!
I love you pictures, I would never have done that, but next year is going to look so good because of you! Thanks!
~Fern
Fern-Smith.Blogspot.com

Rhiannon DeBaylo said...

Hey Sarah! i stumbled on your blog from a pintrest post, and I love it! I am hearing more about "The Daily 5" and trying my best to learn about it to possibly implement it in my classroom next year! Last year was my first year teaching, and in kindergarten, so I am constantly looking for ways to better my students and my craft! I tried doing centers SO many different ways last year (free choice, assigned 1-2 and 3, rotation with group, call out of centers for small group, tubs via sherri sloan!) and am still trying to figure out what is best for them! Would you recommend daily 5 for Kindergarten? And how do you transition between rotations? (timer, etc.) Also, what do you have them log their writing about reading in a journal? or independent practice pages?

Thanks so much! keep up the good work! :)
RhiannonDean07.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

I love the photo idea...could you explain it more and possibly post a larger picture. I would like to incorporate this into the Daily 5...which I am JUST starting for the first time! :)

Mrs. Cole's Class said...

This is my first year using The Daily 5 and I don't think I will ever go back!
I love the I chart photo idea - that way the kids can definitely SEE what Daily 5 should look, sound & feel like.

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