The Daily Five
The Daily 5 is more than a management system or a curriculum framework, it is a structure that helps students develop the daily habits of reading, writing, and working independently that will lead to a lifetime of literacy independence and yes, it can happen in Kindergarten!
During the Daily Five, the kindergartners practice Five Essential Skills for becoming great independent readers and writers.
1. The students will learn to sit quietly and Read to Self. The students will learn from day one, there are 3 ways to read a book: Read the Pictures, Read the Words, and Retell the story.
2. The students will also learn to Read to Someone. During this time, they will take turns listening and summarizing and reading out loud.
3. The students will Listen to Reading. The students will listen to books on the cd and ipod, which they can follow along in the book or listen. The children will also read along with stories on the computer at sites like raz-kids.com starfall.com and storyonline.
4. The students will do Letter and Word Work. Kindergartners can only begin to read the words when they know the letters and corresponding sounds and know a handful of sight (popcorn) words. Letter and Word Work is conducted through art projects, Fundations work, and songs.
5. The students will Work on Writing. This is an extra writing time in addition to the Writer's Workshop, that is conducted at least 3x a week. This extra time allows the students to add more details to their pictures or stories from Writer's Workshop, write a letter to a friend or create a book. These are all activities Kindergarten students love to do.
During the Daily Five, the kindergartners practice Five Essential Skills for becoming great independent readers and writers.
1. The students will learn to sit quietly and Read to Self. The students will learn from day one, there are 3 ways to read a book: Read the Pictures, Read the Words, and Retell the story.
2. The students will also learn to Read to Someone. During this time, they will take turns listening and summarizing and reading out loud.
3. The students will Listen to Reading. The students will listen to books on the cd and ipod, which they can follow along in the book or listen. The children will also read along with stories on the computer at sites like raz-kids.com starfall.com and storyonline.
4. The students will do Letter and Word Work. Kindergartners can only begin to read the words when they know the letters and corresponding sounds and know a handful of sight (popcorn) words. Letter and Word Work is conducted through art projects, Fundations work, and songs.
5. The students will Work on Writing. This is an extra writing time in addition to the Writer's Workshop, that is conducted at least 3x a week. This extra time allows the students to add more details to their pictures or stories from Writer's Workshop, write a letter to a friend or create a book. These are all activities Kindergarten students love to do.
The Daily 5 starts out as a small piece in our morning activities. Over the year, the time spent on task increases as the students fully understand all five components and their expected behavior in each area. The students ultimately become responsible for choosing their own reading and writing materials by the end of the year. While the students are working independently at these 5 activities, the teacher is circulating around the room listening to students read, helping with their word work, and conferencing with students on writing.
