The Daily 5 Personalized

the daily 5 by the "sisters," Gail Boushey and Joan Moser is a teacher-friendly book.  As noted in an earlier post, I prepped the room for the launch. Tomorrow, I'll embark on their "First Five Weeks Launch" in a way that fits my classroom schedule, goals and routines.  I'll post my steps here so interested colleagues can follow, and to create a list I can revisit next year when I employ the launch again.  My rationale for this detailed launch is to build a more engaging and empowering readers' workshop format in my class that will develop flexible, versatile readers who read with fluency and deep comprehension.

Day One (First Day of School)

• Introduce students to classroom library areas, and briefly review choosing "just right books" and library protocols.   Also introduce students to gathering signal, YouTube Classical Music.
• Give students time to choose a couple books they'd like to read.
• Use signal and gather on big green rug.
• Discuss how we sit on the rug.
• Set Purpose:  Reading with Purpose, Understanding and Fluency.
• Discuss there are "three ways to read a book" and I'm going to model two of them.  One is to read the images, diagrams and charts, and the other is to read the text.  I'll model both ways for you.  Read The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaolo (which relates to later social studies lesson).
• Tell students, next you'll read to self.  First let's brainstorm behaviors for read-to-self.  Teacher brainstorms behaviors on T-chart, then students brainstorm.
• Ask a student to model appropriate read-to-self behaviors, then ask a student to model inappropriate behavior.
• Build stamina by giving students 10 minutes to practice in a place of choice.
• Signal, meet on big green rug.  Discuss how it went.  Model again.
• Students read for another 10 minutes.
• Meet, review T-chart, and discuss what we learned.

Day One Notes:  Super start, modified process a bit. Noted who was engaged and who will need greater support with finding just right books and places to read.


Day Two
Teacher Prep: Create a log to keep track of daily 5 events, students needs.

• Gather on rug, review the two ways to read a story we discussed yesterday.  Introduce third way - retelling.  Retell the The Art Lesson using pictures and word.  Talk a bit about it.
• Review and add to read-to-self t-chart.
• Independent read-to-self, return w/classical music signal (above), discuss how it went.  Observe during independent reading, help out the few who noted that they needed specific help yesterday.
• Review muscle memory steps related to read-to-self.  Create an anchor chart.  

Day Two Notes:  Slowing down makes a difference.  The lesson went well--students sustained independent reading for about 40 minutes.  I was able to confer with several children.  I like the structure daily 5 is giving me for introducing an engaging reading workshop model.


Day Three
Teacher Prep: Collect Animal Adaptation Books #1

• Gather on rug with classical music.
• Pass out Animal Adaptation Books #1.  Review 3 ways to read a book.  Practice the 3 ways with these short books altogether.
• Make a T-chart about where to sit in the room when reading.
• Children are invited to read-to-self animal adaptation books and/or their own books
• Observe, confer if there's time.
• Gather again with classical music.  Follow up on reading place choices and ways children read their books today.  Also inquire about what students need to make reading workshop successful.

Day Three Note:  We ran out of time for the last three steps, so day four will be the remainder of day 3.

Day Four

• Gather with classical music.
• Reread anchor charts about reading workshop protocols and three ways to read a book.
• Retell "Blue Whales and Buttercups" by Megan Goss, Jonathan Curley, and Ashley Chase.
• Independent reading.  Teacher conferring and observation if there's time.
• Gather again to share thoughts about how reading workshop went during the first week of school.  Discuss what went well; what they need; and plans for next week.

Day Four Note:  Observation demonstrates that this class needs to think more broadly about choosing books--they don't have an open mind to the many wonderful genres and reading possibilities available. Some sit with a book that's obviously dull, and don't think to find what they really want.  Some are trapped in thinking that they have to read a long book, rather than many short books about a topic they like.  That will be next week's reading workshop focus as well as Daily Five.


Week Two

• Mainly filled with reading assessment and a focus on finding just right books.

Week Three

We're a bit stalled on making the routines work for all. Almost everyone is reading for a steady 30-40 minutes independently. A few still need help with finding just right books or reading venues. Ell students will "independently" read using an interactive online reading program and I'm working with a few challenged readers to find a collection of just right books.  Hopefully, next week I'll get back to the Daily 5 book.