The Daily 5

Some of the staff here are currently doing a book study after school one day a week. We have read one excellent book that deals with talking to kids so they can learn. The other one is called, The Daily 5. I read it and loved it. In fact, I'm on my second read of it now!

It is a new teaching strategy that goes along great with our 4 blocks that we currently teach. The 4 blocks of literacy are; reading, writing, working with words, & silent reading/read aloud.
The Daily 5 has 5 components. They are: read to self, read with someone, listen to reading, word work, and writing. I absolutely fell in love with this strategy and knew that I wanted to try it now and not wait until next year.

So...we started today. Today I taught the kids how to pick a book that is just the right fit for them. It must meet all of these criteria: I PICK
I-pick up a book
P-urpose of the book (read for fun, read to learn)
I-interest (topic, author, series, etc.)
C-omprehend (do they understand what they are reading)
K-now every word in the book (if they don't it is not a good fit)

When the students use these criteria when choosing 3-8 books to keep in their book box, they will be able to really practice reading. Rather than just looking at the pictures.

Then we practiced reading by ourselves. The goal was to read for 3 minutes. However we tried 3 times and each time we failed. Either someone wasn't reading the whole time or someone didn't stay in one spot. We decided we'd try again on Monday. If we achieve this, we'll try for 4 minutes on Tuesday. This will help us build up the stamina that is needed to be able to read independently for 30 minutes (the ultimate goal).

I honestly have to say, the kids were SO excited once they picked their books and wanted to read then! I made them wait... to build curiosity. And they are VERY determined to read for 3 minutes straight on Monday!

Next week I will introduce the second component of the Daily 5. Read with someone. They will love this:)

For more information on The Daily 5 check here.
Have a great weekend and remember....Monday is PICTURE DAY!