The Daily 5 Literacy Block

            Welcome to a new school year! I hope you had a wonderful summer and enjoyed spending quality time with your children. This summer I was deeply engrossed in discovering what researchers say most benefits students as they become readers, writers, and lifelong learners. As a result, the structure of my literacy block may look and sound a little different and I am EXCITED!

            It won’t be long until you hear your child talking about “The Daily Five.” The purpose of this letter is to fill you in on what The Daily Five is all about.

            The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement, as well as foster children who love to read and write. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals or small groups of students.

When it is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the Daily Five, which is comprised of:

· Read to Self

· Work on Writing

· Working on Words

· Read to Someone

· Listen to Reading

There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each of The Daily Five component. We will spend the first weeks working intensely on building our reading and writing stamina, learning the behaviors of The Daily Five, and fostering our classroom community. I will also spend time learning about your child’s strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to best plan for each student’s instruction.

One thing you will notice that may be a change for you is a decrease in the number of worksheets your child brings home. While worksheets keep students busy, they don’t really result in the high level of learning I want for your child. Instead your child will be taught to select “Good Fit Books” or books they can read, understand, and are interested in. They will be spending most of their time actually reading, which research supports as the number one way of improving reading. I anticipate the motivation and enjoyment of reading will skyrocket when this gift of choosing their own books is accompanied by extended practice and specific reading instruction for each individual child. Additionally, I have decided to postpone sending home phonics, word wall, and vocabulary words until I can see that students understand the structure and procedures that go along with The Daily Five.

 As you can see, I am excited about giving your child the opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have a positive effect on his/her education.

Please think of our classroom when you visit garage sales or clean your own child’s book case. It is my goal to make our classroom library as appealing as your favorite book store for browsing.

I want to thank you for the continued support in your child’s education. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact me at any time.