The Daily Five

The Daily Five (or literacy station time) is one of my students’ favorite times of the day! During this time, each child is independently engaged in meaningful literacy activities. These activities are research-based, and in addition to increasing student achievement and success in reading, the children also develop a love for books! We begin our ninety minute reading block with explicit whole group instruction, each day focusing on phonics, comprehension strategies, and vocabulary skills. The students are then assigned to“travel groups” and they travel with the same group throughout station time. During the Daily Five, the kids read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to small groups of students. The students move to new stations every 12-15 minutes.
The Daily Five station choices in our classroom:
• Independent Reading
• Writing about Reading
• Buddy Reading
• Listen to Reading
• Word Work
The first 20 days of school we will work on building our reading and writing “stamina,” learning the routines and behavior expectations of the Daily Five, and building our classroom community. I will also spend time learning about my students’ strengths and needs as a reader to ensure their success. During the first 20 days, we will review how to pick “Just Right Books” or books each child can read independently. During literacy stations, the kids will spend a majority of the time reading books they enjoy and are interested in, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading!