the daily five ((chapter one))

So, I mentioned a while back that I thought I may need to re-read The Daily Five if I was going to try implementing such a management style during my classroom's literacy block this year. Quite helpfully, Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations and Teaching with Style  are hosting a Daily 5 book study. I've fired up my nook and am set to review Chapter 1. Here we go . . . 

Chapter 1 Discussion Questions:

1. On pages 4-6, the authors present two different pictures of their classrooms. In thinking about and reflecting on your own practice, how would you characterize your literacy block? Does it look more like the first or second scenario, or is it somewhere in between? How will you change it?

In the first senario, the primary descriptors are "putting out fires" and "preparing for and reviewing busywork." In the second, "working independently" is the phrase that stands out to me. It's telling how the former describes teacher actions, while the latter describes students. Truthfully, I think my classroom seems more like the first senario. I don't prepare a whole lot of busywork, but I do spend a lot of time putting out fires. I'd like to partially attribute this to the nature of my class (after all, no one shows up in my room because they're good at staying on task,) but I think I can do more to foster independence. A lot of my students have improved greatly over the last year, and I think that they can serve as models for new-coming students if properly taught. 

2. The typical teacher is very busy having students do lots of different activities. How is what you are having students do now in your classroom creating quality readers and writers?

My students are engaged in reading practice in individual or very-small-group instruction using our reading program for around 30 minutes per day. While other students are receiving instruction, students are . . . completing a worksheet or reading to themselves. I also have literacy centers, but usually use them with my morning group rather than my mid-morning literacy group. 

I know worksheets get a bad rap, but I use a single one per day for two reasons 1) my kids don't mind them because as long as they keep working they're left alone and 2) I need to use them to implement the program I use with fidelity. I think they do help with reading, but I think they could be done as homework instead (many do not complete their reading at home because of lack of help at home/daycare, this would be something requiring no adult assistance.) 

I think that my read-to-self time has helped improve reading stamina, interest, and fluency . . . except for my littles who were assigned to my room late in the year. I think that booster sessions on good-fit books and read-to-self behaviors will be essential.
 

3. What sets the Daily 5 structure apart from what you are doing in your classroom?  

Students are expected to work independently for longer periods of time. I already allow a lot of choice in my classroom, but this system will give more structure to choices. Also, the addition of mini-lessons is different. I do not currently do much whole-group instruction. I think that this will be a organizational system that is much more suited to my style of individual reading instruction and will help tie individual learning into whole-group lessons.

I am really interested in implementing Daily 5, but am kind of concerned about doing something requiring so much independence when some children are put in my class specifically because of difficulties meeting expectations independently. I'm really hoping to find more SpEd teachers who do this, in order to get some more ideas!