Daily 5 Book Study for Grades 1-3 {Chapter 4}

Happy Independence Day Everyone!

This chapter guides you through the steps to launch Read To Self. 

• Three Ways To Read A Book is taught in two sessions.  On page 49 the sisters write "It is essential to teach what it looks and sounds like to read the pictures, read the words, and retell."
• Launching Read To Self explains the importance to chart reasons for independent reading and the importance of modeling correct and incorrect behavior.
• Practicing Read To Self--In my opinion the author sums it up by saying "At this time, we quickly and quietly take children with their book boxes, one at a time, and place them around the room at least an arm's distance way from each other."  (page 53)
• Checking Back In--Go Back Over I chart, students confront any problems that have occurred.

In my classroom I begin my first lesson on day 1 and I follow the guidelines the sisters have written.  My second day looks much like the first.  During the first twenty days we spend our time modeling, practicing and reflecting.  Then we do it all again.  The author suggests using an I-chart format. 

In reflecting on your students' work with these strategies, what can you celebrate at this point in the year? By the end of they year my students were able to choose books independently.  However, this was heavily modeled by me, the reading coach and the media specialist.

How might you help your students continue to build stamina within these areas?  I am sometimes my worst enemy.  I expect children to catch on quickly to things, however, this is an area where students should be nurtured.  It takes time to build stamina.  I should continue to review the I charts and constantly review and model how to choose good fit books.

Please check out the hosts for this chapter.

  

Daily 5 Book Study Grades 1-3 {Chapter 3}

   

Chapter 3 focus on the routines for launching The Daily 5.

It all starts at "The Gathering Place".  
The sisters write on page 28 "During the Daily Five we bring the whole class together at the gathering place after each work sesion. As children join us in the gathering place on the floor, it signals a shirt in activity and thinking."  This was may gathering place two years ago.  It was the only picture I could find.

Good Fit Books
On page 29 the sisters write "...the real challenge lies with our teaching children so they are empowered to choose good-git books for themselves each time they go to the library, bookstore or classroom book area."
Model, Model, Model and Model again!  I like to use the model the sisters created from the book.  I complete the I-Pick chart with the students.

Setting Up Book Boxes
Would you believe I just use zip lock bags?  In my room students choose anywhere from 5 to 8 books and keep them in a zip lock bag inside their desk or chair pocket.  I replace the bags when needed.

Anchor Charts
Create these with your students.  Just look on pinterest on google and you will find tons of examples of charts.

Short Intervals of Repeated Practice
See page 37 --Figure 3-8 Ten Steps to Improve Muscle Memory.  I think this also goes back to modeling.  The more students model and practice the better they will get in their routines.

Signals and Check-In
This is going to me new for me this year.  I will need to find a sound that will be unique to this part of our day.  Transition time is always were my behavior problems come from.  This is something that I am going to work on, hopefully practicing these transitions in short intervals will work with my students.

Correct Model/ Incorrect Model
During the beginning of the year, my reading coach comes in and we model this for the students.  We then have the students model the behaviors.  This has worked great with us in the past.  This gives students a great visual to understand what is expected of them.

Final Thoughts
In my opinion the best paragraph in this chapter is found on page 42 "The beginning of the year is all about establishing routines, defining expectations, practicing behaviors, and building stamina with children withing the Daily Five framework, and it takes lots of discipline on the children's part as well as the teacher's.  We move slowly to eventually move fast.  The payoff is enormous."

Chapter 3 is being hosted by Jana from Reading and Thinking Out Loud and Melissa from Mrs. Freshwater's Class.

Daily 5 Book Study Grades 1-3 {Chapter 2}

I am thrilled to reread the Daily 5 written by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser known as “the sisters” and participate in this book study.

Chapter 2: From “Management” to “Principled Habits”: Foundations of the Daily Five

In the chapter the “sisters” outline and describe the core foundations the Daily 5 was built on.

Trust

These two sentences on page 18 stood out for me.

• “Meaningful learning requires respect between the teacher and students as well as among the students themselves.”

• “When trust is combined with explicit instruction, our students acquire the skills necessary to become independent learners”
Choice

This is the hardest for me, personally. I think some children thrive on structure. Choice is something that I haven’t used in my classroom. I have told my students which station I want them to go to. This will be something I will need to work on in the fall.

• I love the questions half way down on page 20. These questions teach how to make good decisions.

Community

The heart of our classroom, all teachers want to create a classroom community where students fell safe to explore, create and learn.

• I love the sentence that begins the last paragraph on page 21. “A sense of community provides members with ownership to hold others accountable for behaviors of effort, learning, order and kindness.”

Sense of Urgency

Understanding the “why”

Stamina

This is being compared to an athlete in training for a competition. The authors encourage use to think in the same way. Students will work each day to build their stamina to work independently.

Stay Out Of The Way

How hard is this? I am guilty of what they discuss on page 25 “…they had anchored their behavior to our reactions. We had unwittingly taught them to rely on our reinforcement to keep them on-task.” This is so easy to do.

I hope you will follow along with our book study. I will share the things that worked for me in my second grade classroom, as well as, ideas I have planned for next year.

The hosts for Chapter 2: From “Management” to “Principled Habits”: Foundations of the Daily Five