Introducing the Daily 5 to Parents

Beginning each school year is such an exciting time, in particular when we go back to school with new learning that we believe will enhance our children's time in the classroom. Often times, changes in the structure of a classroom, the environment or even a curricular shift, can be difficult for parents. We are one of the few professions in which everyone has had experience-they all went to school. At times this can prove to be as challenging as it is rewarding, in particular when the classroom looks and runs differently from then that of their childhood.

When making the shift to Daily 5, we have found the transition for parents to be a bit easier if we start with a short letter explaining the structure of the day.

This week, we are providing sample copy of a beginning of the year letter introducing The Daily 5. We left it as a Word Document so you can feel free to use parts or all of it.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/public/326.cfm

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Here it is, the 4th in our series of Quick Start Guides for Daily 5. This Quick Start Guide #4 features Launching Read to Someone. We have gathered all the videos, downloads and links onto one page for ready reference and ease of use.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/327.cfm

Book boxes in a classroom are a wonderful tool used by teachers all over the world. The allure of having a portable vessel to hold good fit books for children can't be denied. However, questions always arise regarding the management of book boxes. This week begins a two-part video series on books boxes. Week one addresses the management of the books, when to trade them and ideas on how to trade out the books.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/228.cfm

Choosing a partner is a very sophisticated strategy. We used to just say, "Pick a Partner and get to work." Moments later we'd be wondering why they were not being successful. Though we were tempted to discontinue the use of partners, we believed in the importance of partner reading, so we persisted to find a way to help make the procedure successful. After task analyzing the process of Choosing a Partner, we broke it down into a few steps that could be replicated each time students chose partners.

In this video you will see Natalie and Joan teach these steps to Natalie's class. We teach this strategy during the first weeks of school, even before we launch Read to Someone, so they will be ready not only for choosing a partner for Read to Someone, but for partner work in all other subjects as well.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/278.cfm

Have your students ever had difficulty deciding which book to read during Read to Someone? You have probably witnessed the same thing we have...each partner brings their chosen book and the pair wastes considerable valuable reading time negotiating (or arguing) about who's book they are going to read...sigh.

In this video, Joan and Natalie teach students three strategies for choosing what to read while modeling respectful behaviors.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/279.cfm

Rounding out this week's look at Read to Someone and picking partners Natalie debriefs with Joan regarding Read to Someone. In this video, Natalie talks about some of the things that are going well with Read to Someone and some of her challenges, such as kids always wanting to be with the same partner, and how she has handled those issues.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/257.cfm

Until next week!