3. Creates a love of reading
•students post their favorite books on the
Must Read list
•students engage in book discussions
•students suggest books for their
friends to read
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/3657903832/
4. Increased vocabulary
• new vocabulary is transferred into writing
• forces the use of a dictionary
• becomes part of student’s everyday language
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/85607754@N05/7851395464/
5. Builds stamina
• “Building your stamina each day will
help you all year long as
we work toward becoming better readers
who love to read.”
• makes the students more proficient readers
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isbes/8089442354/
Text source: Boushey, Gail; Moser, Joan (2006-01-01). The Daily Five (p. 53). Stenhouse Publishers - A. Kindle Edition.
6. Self selected books
•students may select the
book of their choice
•they may choose a book
that is not on grade level
•they will not be tested on
the book they choose
•reading is supposed to be fun
Photo sources:
Twilight: http://www.flickr.com/photos/branditressler/3652213432/
Hunger Games: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therainsfamily/7005922951/
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mclibdotnet/5598413556/
7. Self selected books
•students may select the
book of their choice
•they may choose a book
that is not on grade level
•they will not be tested on
the book they choose
•reading is supposed to be fun
Photo sources:
Twilight: http://www.flickr.com/photos/branditressler/3652213432/
Hunger Games: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therainsfamily/7005922951/
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mclibdotnet/5598413556/
Editor's Notes
The more students read the more the better they become at reading. Students who practice reading, will have a better understanding of what they are reading. By making connections to the text they are reading, they are more likely to remember what they are reading.
Once a student finishes a book that they absolutely love, they write the title and author on an index card and tape it to our Must Read wall. Other students may look at the wall at anytime to get ideas for the next book they want to read. Every Friday, I set aside about 10 minutes for my students to discuss the book they are reading with the partner of their choice. This allows my students to recall information to summarize what they are reading.
My students were always showing me new vocabulary words they had found in their SSR books. They would then try and use them in their writing. Every time they found a new word, we would add it to our word wall as a reminder of something new that they learned. If my students weren’t sure of the meaning of a word, they had to look it up.
The Daily Five is all about reading. The book mentions the importance of building stamina by starting out at 3 minutes at a time for younger students. The point is to increase the length of time each week, until the students are reading for a full 30 minutes. Building stamina and getting up to the allotted time is supposed to make students more proficient readers. This will then help them on standardized tests.
My students are allowed to choose any books they want for SSR. The books may be on grade level or above grade level. SSR is a time for my students to enjoy what they are reading, not force them to read something they aren’t interested in. By allowing them to choose an interesting book, they are more likely to sit and read quietly for the allotted 30 minutes a day.
