Daily 5 FAQs
Daily 5 is a way to manage your literacy block. It isn’t something for which you need to carve out a separate time; instead it is a way to structure the time already set aside in your day to teach literacy.
Why the five tasks of Daily 5?
The five options in Daily 5 (Read to Self, Work on Writing, Word Work, Listen to Reading, and Read to Someone) incorporate the six language arts: reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing. They provide ways for students to authentically transfer their learning from whole-group, small-group, and individual instruction.
Do students have to do all five tasks every day?
No. In fact, the majority of schedules allow for two to three sessions a day. Students often choose one reading and one writing task. Their choice should align with their individual reading and writing goals. In grades PK–2, students often choose from all five tasks and work to experience all five in a given week. In grades 3 and up, it may be that students check in with their goal and choose between the work of reading and the work of writing to meet it.
Is it similar to centers?
Daily 5 is not about centers. Although students choose between the five authentic applications of reading and writing, they are not working to complete a specific assignment or to stay busy. Instead, they are spending time each day engaged in literacy at a personal level. When students make a choice, they are sharing how they would like to apply their learning during that time period.
My district requires me to teach from a prescribed reading program. Can I use Daily 5 with it?
Absolutely. The Daily 5 structure is designed around the optimal conditions of learning and how the brain learns best. Brief focus lessons are taught using the content from your program and our purposeful instruction protocol. Students are given time to apply their learning in a genuine and authentic way through reading and writing. This allows for building muscle memory, time to process, and enhanced time management of learning and application of literacy concepts.
How do I get started using Daily 5?
We suggest reading The Daily 5, Second Edition on your own, participating in a book study, or taking one of our online courses. Daily 5 is all about firm and responsive teaching with clear expectations, consistency, routine, choice, authentic application, engagement in literacy, and joyful learning. This begins with a clear understanding of the purpose and implementation of the 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence and the authentic literacy work with which students engage.