Daily 5 Book Study: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

The time has come to begin learning and exploring the Daily 5. Come join the fun over the next several weeks as many bloggers are teaming up to complete a book study using “the sisters” Gail Boushey and Joan Moser book titled “The Daily 5 Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades” (Grab a cup of joe or a soda and great ready to explore!)

Here are some of my thoughts after reading chapter one.

1. On pages 4-6, the authors present two different pictures of their classrooms. In thinking about and reflecting on your own practice, how would you characterize your literacy block? Does it look more like the first or second scenario, or is it somewhere in between? How will you change it?

This will be my first year in a regular education classroom. I have worked the last few years as a special education resource teacher and a co-teacher during the 90 minute first grade reading block. In the school that I work in, we tier our students in reading class based on their individual reading abilities and needs. This year, I will be leaving my job as a special education teacher and heading to a second grade classroom. For reading, I will be teaching the lower level reading group and am very excited about implementing the Daily 5 strategy with my new students. I feel the D5 will give my students the opportunity to explore and become more independent readers/writers. It will also give me the chance to assess and monitor my students very closely. I am very excited about this new journey and can’t wait to begin!!! Yippppeeee!!!

2. The typical teacher is very busy having students do lots of different activities. How is what you are having students do now in your classroom creating quality readers and writers?

In my past reading groups, we have always followed along with the required reading material and had the student’s complete daily worksheets. (The parents seem to feel a worksheet showed their child did something meaningful that day, but it didn’t always show that they could read or comprehend the daily lesson.) Although standards were being met, I have to wonder if “active learning” was actually occurring daily with my students. I am hoping that my struggling readers will develop a true love for reading and writing with the implementation of D5 next year.

3. What sets the Daily 5 structure apart from what you are doing in your classroom?

Since, I have not implemented the Daily 5 in my classroom yet; I do not feel I can share any of the differences from BD5 to AD5. (Maybe next year!) I do hope that by applying this successful strategy in my new second grade classroom, I will inspire my students to “love” reading as much as I do.

I am hoping the D5 will encourage my students to become more independent, take pride in their daily work, and to instill a love for reading that is lifelong.

UPDATE:

As, I stated above I have NEVER implemented D5 in my classroom. I do feel that it could be easily done in a special education setting if you have the students for a chunk of time. Materials could be easily adapted and adjusted to suit the needs of all learners. I personally feel with guidance and structure, the students would flourish with this type of learning, but would need to be monitored at all times to ensure they are working the entire time!!! (I know my lower level learners in my 1st grade reading group needed constant re-direction to “track” during oral reading, stay focused, and to remain on task. That is probably my biggest concern as far as a sped setting. Keeping the students motivated during D5!!)

Next week, the book study will be discussing Chapter 2. Questions to think about while reading/reviewing Chapter 2:

1 .What goals do you have for your classroom as you work to implement the principles and foundations of the Daily 5 discussed in chapter 2? What support do you need to do this?

2. What stands out as the most significant aspects of this chapter?

3. How do the foundational principles of the Daily 5 structure (trust, choice, community, sense of urgency, and stamina), align with your beliefs that support your teaching strategies and the decisions that you make about student learning?

Now what should you do?

1. Well if you are not yet reading the Daily 5 go get it! Click here. It's a super easy read that I read in one day and read again each summer. Try it out!

2. If you have a blog and want to link up go to Suesstastic Classroom Inspirations and link up.

3. If you don't have a blog but want to participate just leave comments, ideas, suggestions, and questions.

4. Check back next week to read about Chapter 2.