The Daily 5™ book alludes to the idea of 5 rounds, but we have since tweaked that to reflect three rounds each day for primary readers and two rounds for intermediate readers. The large majority of intermediate students will do Read to Self and Work on Writing.

The reason for the change is this:

Many literacy blocks are only 90 minutes long. We base the length of each round on student stamina. Rounds typically end up being 20-30 minutes long in our primary classrooms. We are keenly aware of the moment independent behaviors begin to slip and pull students back together for a brain and body break.

Since they have greater stamina, rounds for intermediate students are about 30-40 minutes long.

However, we've found that success comes when we use our students as barometers and don't get tied into stringent and rigid time blocks. We've had days where intermediate students do three rounds and primary four. A snow day in Seattle, Valentine party, new student or various other things can have an impact on what students are capable of each day. Michael Grinder calls these "right brain" days. These are the days when student stamina decreases due to distractions inside or outside of school. Days without distractions will likely yield longer rounds.

So, the bottom line is….two….while tuning into the indicators of student stamina to decide if another is necessary or not.