The Daily 5

Chapter 1: This chapter focuses on how teaching has evolved in our schools.  Our management has evolved from the first years of teaching, to five years ago, and now with the Daily Five.  They looked more closely at how teachers were structuring the learning environment.  One example is that in the first years of teaching we would mention behaviors once and expect students to know and do them.  Five years ago we would teach and practice behaviors once or twice and students were expected to know them.  Now, we teach and practice skills until behaviors become habits.  The Daily Five is different from other management models because they rely on the teaching of independence, manage the entire literacy block, allow three to five focus lessons and more intentions teaching, provide students substantial time to read and write, and more.

Chapter 2: The Daily Five believes in certain foundational principles.  Those principles include trusting students, providing choice, nurturing community, creating a sense of urgency, building stamina, and staying out of the students' way once routines are established.  It's important to treat students as individuals and build a trust between teacher and student because positive relationships are vital.  During Daily Five activities, students how the power to choice what they want to do depending on their goals and motivation.  They could choose reading to self, reading to someone, listening to reading, working on writing, or spelling work.  It's important to create a community in your classroom so students can take ownership of their learning.  It's also important to make sure students understand why they need to do activities.  Teachers have to support students and cheer them on so they can help them succeed.  Once students have developed the practiced strategies and built their stamina, teachers need to stay out of the way and let them read.

Chapter 3: In the first days of school, we have to introduce students to key materials, routines, and concepts.  These include establishing a gathering place for brain and body breaks, developing the concept of "good-fit" books through a series of lessons, creating anchor charts with students for referencing behaviors, short, repeated intervals of independent practice, calm signals and check-in procedures, and using the correct model/incorrect model approach for demonstrating appropriate behaviors.  You need a gathering place so students can all come together and sit on the floor.  We have to spend time making sure students pick books that are a good fit for them and will challenge them.  Students should ask why they want to read a book, if it interests them, if they are understanding what they're reading, and if they know most of the words.  At the beginning of the year, you have to provide students with a variety of books because we don't know their level of reading yet.  Anchor charts in the classroom are a good way to make thinking permanent.  Students can use these charts to trace their work, build on earlier learning, and remember different lessons.  We need to practice routines so students understand what is expected of them and this needs to be done numerous times.  We have to come up with signals for students to respond to so they can check in and stop what they're doing.  This way students aren't getting lost in their activity and it won't take forever to get them to move on.  We also have to show students the correct way to do Daily Five activities and incorrect ways so they know what not to do and what is expected of them.

Chapter 4: There are three ways to read a book.  These include reading and talking about the pictures, reading the words, and retelling a previously read book.  We have to teach these strategies to students as a gradual release.  We have to model for students, let the students practice, work independently, and then let them work on their own and only provide help if they really need it.  We have to help students form the correct behaviors so they know what is expected of them.  Then, we have students start practicing reading to themselves.  We start with the three-minute practice because most students can be successful for that amount of time so they are able to practice reading to themselves and displaying the correct behaviors.  After three minutes, students need to check back in and then they will repeat the process again.  After all of the practice sessions, the class will come together and review how the lesson went.  It's important to continuously review the important parts of the students Daily Five with them.  On day two, they will continue to practice and work on building their stamina and train student's muscle memories.  Students will continue to practice and a few minutes will be added each day until students are up to 30 minutes and can sustain for up to 45 minutes.

Chapter 5: The next step is to practice reading to someone and listen to reading.  Students normally like reading to someone and it also increasing the volume of reading, the level of attention to reading, reading motivation, fluency, reading rate, word-attack skills, and the love of reading.  We have to discuss why it is important to read to someone else before starting the activity and no, it's not just because it's fun.  Students need to understand why each activity is important.  It'll start with teaching students how to be a good reading partner.  On chart paper, the teacher will write the acronym "EEKK", which means elbow, elbow and knee, knee so students know how they need to behave while being a reading partner.  Voice level needs to be discussed so students stay on track and aren't distracting others.  Then, we teach students how to check for understanding by stopping at the end of every page or so to remember who they were reading about and what was happening.  The teacher will model for students then they will practice and later check back in.  Then, students will learn to partner read by reading a couple pages and then having their partner read the same pages again.  Students will learn how to choose books, how to choose their own classroom spot, and how to choose a good partner.  Audio stories are also helpful for students who get their first exposure to English when they enter the classroom.

The Daily Five activities are a great way to help students succeed in reading in the classroom.  I would definitely use these activities in my own classroom so students are prepared, know what is expected of them, and are exposed to many different strategies to help them become better readers.

Questions to consider:

• How do we modify and accommodate in order to maximize literacy learning for all students?
• What does effective instruction look like when teaching literacy? What should we teach? How do we teach it?
• What is the teacher's role and how does it change?
• What does effective classroom management look like in the literacy and performing arts classrooms?

Reference:

Boushey, Gail. Moser, Joan. Stenhouse Publishers. Portland, Maine. 2006. Print.

Hatchet

Main Character: Brian

Setting: A lake in the Canadian wilderness

Summary: Brian was on a flight in a small plane to see his father in Canada when suddenly the pilot has a heart attack.  Brian has to figure out how to land the plane and after flying around for awhile, decides to crash into a lake.  Brian survives the crash and quickly realizes he has to do everything he can to survive.  He tackles many obstacles including finding food, facing a bear, facing wolves, getting sprayed by a skunk, and getting wacked by a porcupine.  Brian realizes that a hatchet his mother gave him before his trip is the answer to all of his problems.  He uses it to build a fire to keep him warm and uses his instincts to stay alive in the wilderness for fifty-four long days.

I would use this book in the classroom by having students use their journals.  I would read a few paragraphs and have students write a paragraph or two in their journals about a predicted summary of what's going to happen in the book.  After reading the book, I would have them write a page on how they think they would've reacted if they were in Brian's shoes.  After that, I would have them get into small groups and look back at their first predictions and discuss how it compares to what they know to be true now.


Questions to consider:

• When, if ever, is an adventure book too "real life" for your students? How will you determine the appropriateness for your students?
• What other adventure books have you read? What about true adventure stories?

Reference:

Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet: 20th Anniversary Edition. Simon & Schuster. New York. 2007. Print.

The Whipping Boy

Main Characters: Jemmy, Prince Brat, Hold-Your-Nose Billy

Setting: A castle in the countryside and the sewers

Summary: Prince Brat decides to run away from the castle and has the whipping boy, Jemmy, go with him.  They end up getting kidnapped by Hold-Your-Nose Billy and have to work together to get out of the situation.  The two boys couldn't stand each other when in the castle together, but develop a friendship through the time spent outside of the castle running from Billy.  

I would use this as a lesson about how just because two people are different, it doesn't mean that someone is better than another person.  It is a great story about how you can come from different backgrounds and still be friends.  I would also use this book as a vocabulary lesson, as there are a lot of words in the book that students might not have heard before.  I would have students pick three words that they didn't know, look them up, and complete a paint card about each word including how to use it in a sentence, characteristics, the definition, and facts about the word.

Questions to consider:

• When, if ever, is an adventure book too "real life" for your students? How will you determine the appropriateness for your students?
• Recently the number of realistic adventure books seems to be much less than fantasy adventure. Why do you think that is true? Compare their place in your classroom library and instruction.

Reference: 

Fleischmann, Sid. The Whipping Boy. Green willow Books. New York, N.Y. 1986. Print.

The Boxcar Children

Main Characters: Henry, Jessie, Violet, Benny, William, Meg, Ben, Kate, Sarah, Jake

Setting: The Fair Meadow Farm

Summary: The Alden family lived on the Fair Meadow farm.  Siblings Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny had fun doing chores and spending time together around the farm.  One night a family came to their house after their car broke down in a snow storm.  They invited the family to stay in their home and soon became very close friends with the children Meg and William.  They did everything together.  They did chores, went to school, and even put on a free circus for their friends and families.  They lived together until the part came to fix their car and the family had to go on their way to their new home.  At the end of the story, the sheriff comes home to tell the kids that their parents passed away in a car accident and that they needed to contact any family members or they might have to go into foster care.  The kids know that the only family member they have is a grandfather who they have never met.  The next day, Henry, Jessie, Violent, and Benny take off on an adventure and leave the Fair Meadow farm so they don't get split up.  This is just the beginning of The Boxcar Children series, with many more adventures to come.

All of the siblings are very different people.  I would use this book in the classroom to teach students about character traits.  I would have students get in groups and take a different character from the book and have them describe certain character traits that person shows and what details from the story make them think that they have those traits.

Questions to consider:

• Why did the creator use this format?
• What did you think of this story?
• What different character traits do the characters in the story possess?

Reference:

MacLachlan, Patricia. The Boxcar Children Beginning. Albert Whitman & Company. Park Ridge, Illinois. 2012. Print.

Love That Dog

Main Characters: Jack, Miss Stretchberry, Walter Dean Myers, Sky

Setting: Miss Stretchberry's classroom, Room 105

Summary: Jack creates different poems that mean something to him after hearing numerous famous poems from his teacher Miss Stretchberry.  The first few poems Jack wrote he asked the teacher to keep them anonymous when she hangs them up because he doesn't think they're good enough or that boys should write poems.  After writing a few, he starts letting the teacher put his name on them and he ends up writing a wonderful poem about his dog, Sky, that was inspired by famous poet Walter Dean Myers who comes to talk to Jack's class at school.  This is a great story about how if you give new things a chance, you might come to love them and get to experience new things.

I would use this in my classroom before students are going to write their own poems.  I would also use this as a history lesson before introducing students to different poets and poems.  After reading this, I would have students pick their favorite poem from the book and have them re-write it in their own words and connect it to their personal lives just like Jack did in the book.

My favorite poet is Edgar Allan Poe.  His work is sometimes described as dark, but I find it very interesting, different, and amusing.  He is very creative and there is always an underlying message in each of his poems.  The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe is also my favorite poem I have ever read.  It is also his most famous poem.  He's one of those poets that you really have to pick apart each stanza to understand what he's trying to tell you and I find that challenging, rewarding, and interesting.  

My favorite inspirational poem is Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.  This poem inspires people to be themselves no matter what society is trying to tell you.  People are going to try and tear you down, but don't give them the satisfaction.  It's important to stay true to yourself and not worry about what others think about you.

Questions to consider:

• How can you help students both make meaning of poetry and enjoy it?
• Do you understand the different types of poetry?

Reference:

Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. HarperCollins Publishers. New York, NY. 2001. Print.

Radiant Child

Main Characters: Jean-Michel, Matilde

Setting: Brooklyn, New York City

Summary: Jean-Michel always wanted to be a famous artist.  He found art in many different things including poetry books, theaters, street games and museums.  Jean-Michel's drawings are not neat or clean and he doesn't color inside the lines, but his drawings are still beautiful.  This book teaches us that we don't have to be perfect and if you set your mind to something, you can do anything.  It is a great story about never giving up, following your dreams, and not being afraid to be different.

I would use this in the classroom by doing a lesson on what students want to be when they grow up and then having them draw what that will look like.  I would also use this in an art lesson and let students draw whatever they want however they want.  I would also use this for a lesson regarding the history of art and different artists.  I think this book is also an important lesson that if you set your mind to something, you can do anything as long as you try your best and work hard.

Questions to consider:

• Do you know of any informational texts that would pair well with this book?
• How will this book help students gain perspective?

Reference:

Steptoe, Javake. Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Little, Brown & Company. New York, NY. 2016. Print.

Number the Stars

Main Characters: Annemarie, Ellen, Kirsti, Mr. & Mrs. Johansen, Henrick, Peter

Setting: Copenhagen

Summary: Annemarie and her family lived in Copenhagen during the time when Germany was taking over. When the Nazis begin taking Jews from their homes, the Johansen's take their neighbor and Annemarie's best friend, Ellen, into their home and pretend she is one of their own.  Annemarie, her mother, sister, and Ellen go to visit her Uncle Henrick who is a fisherman with his own boat.  When Ellen's parents and other families show up at her uncles, Annemarie realizes they didn't just come for a simple visit.  Henrick and Annemarie's almost brother-in-law Peter take the families to their boats to get the Jewish families safely to Sweden.  These boats had hiding places built by the fisherman.  When Ellen's father drops a packet that was supposed to get on the boat later found by Annemarie, she knows she has to risk her life and take it to the boat before it leaves.  Annemarie is stopped in the woods by four soldiers who look through her basket with the packet in it.  Annemarie learns that she brought her uncle a handkerchief that saved her friends life.  The handkerchief contained a special drug that makes dogs ruin their sense of smell and since the German officers had dogs trying to find these Jewish runaways, they used these handkerchiefs on the boats.  Had Annemarie not been so brave, the dogs would've smelled the families and they would've been caught.

I would use this in my classroom by having students read chapters and discuss after each chapter.  I would also connect this to history lessons and have students write in their journal about the book.  I would have them answer questions, such as: "What would you have done if you were Annemarie?"

Questions to consider:

• How will the book help students understand history?
• How will the book help students gain perspective?
• Would you recommend this book? If so, to whom?

Reference:

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. New York. Scholastic Teaching Resources, 2003. Print.