Lovin' Daily 5

I am loving reading and learning about the daily 5. I can't wait to try it out in my classroom next year! I have to admit that I am very controlling in my centers.  For the past few years, I had 8 centers set up around my room and would change them every 6 days.  The students would go to two centers a day.  I know you are thinking, well that's only enough centers for the kids to go to for four days.  The other two days, the students would catch up with centers that they either missed or didn't get to finish.  I had a chart that told the students exactly which two centers they were going to each day.  I like to be able to know where every student is at every moment.  You could say I am a little controlling about it. Well, the freedom of students picking which daily 5 to do is a little terrifying for me.  I do think that choice is very important in implementing the daily 5 so I do not want to tell the students which ones to go to and in which order.  I do think I am going to tell them that they have to do read to self every day.  They are only going to be able to do 3 dailies a day. So my next thought is, how am I going to keep them accountable for the dailies they do each day and do I record their choices every day? That's a lot I feel, but I do want to know which ones they are choosing.  Do I make them choose at the beginning of the day or as they are doing it during our guided reading time (which is when I am going to be doing the daily 5)?

I have started my lesson plans for the daily 5 and I have comfortably planned 4 of the dailies.  The only one I am not exactly comfortable with yet is reading to someone.  I feel that is going to make my classroom loud.  So I think I am going to leave that one to last to teach so that I know my students better and we can practice and model a lot. And I haven't figured out how it is going to be successful in my classroom because I will not be checking in with my students between each daily.  Since I am doing it during my guided reading time, I am going to use some sort of noise (chime or bell) to signal changing of groups and when students should be going to the next daily. So many unknowns right now!

I am finding that I am starting to answer some of my own questions about getting started and organizing the daily 5, but I would love more input. I don't know if anyone is actually reading this, but if you are and do the daily 5 in your classroom, any tips would be greatly appreciated! I am a little nervous about doing this next year, but I really want to do it.  The daily 5 sounds so beneficial to the students.

My Hobby Hunny!

My husband is always telling me: you need to find a hobby! He has so many different hobbies, from cars, to home theater, to photography. And I do have hobbies but that are just not as extensive as his. This summer I am finishing my masters degree but have found that I have had a LOT of free time.  A little too much time sometimes! I've actually started missing being at school teaching my little second graders! Crazy, right?! Well, I've started putting some thought into my classroom for next year and what I want to change and implement next year and have found so much JOY out of researching, and planning, and thinking, and creating! So, hubby, I've figured out that teaching is my hobby! How great is it that my career is my hobby?! Okay, so maybe all this free time is getting to me a little bit, but I think it is so true.

I have spent so much time these past few days learning about The Daily 5. It is such an interesting idea and I really want to try it in my classroom next year! I'm reading the book right now but The Sisters and just love the idea.  I've also found some blogs that have been so helpful in getting started. But I still have so many questions! I've read so many people have implemented this in their classroom in such young grades and that was one of my main questions -- can my second graders handle this?! Well, so many kindergarten teachers have tried it and loved it, so my kiddos must try it! Will my principal approve? How can he not if the kids are reading and writing! That's what we want them doing right? Okay so I guess I'm able to answer some of my questions but there are still so many more! I wanted to use this during my guided reading block which is around 60-75 minutes so I can pull my four guided reading groups. How long should the kids stay at each dailie? Do I really need to check in after each dailie? I don't have time for that in my schedule.  I have 60 or so minutes to meet with all my kiddos for guided reading and that's it! And that's not a lot of time! I don't have any books on tape. Are they easy to find or can I substitute something else in place of that? How many dailies can be done in 60-75 minutes? All of these questions I am just not sure! 

So I still have a lot of figuring out to do for implementing the daily 5 into my class for next year, but I am really excited about it! It sounds so beneficial to my kids and for me as a teacher! For now, I'll just keep reading and hope all the answers will come to me! If not, I guess I'll just give it a whirl and figure it out as I go!!