This document provides an overview of the Daily 5 literacy approach used in Room 2 of Silverstream Primary School. It describes how the teacher implemented Daily 5 to structure literacy time and provide independent activities in reading, writing, listening to reading, and word work. The teacher introduced one Daily 5 activity per week over 5 weeks and built up students' stamina and independence. Other literacy instruction includes shared reading, comprehension strategies, and using iPads. The teacher also adapted the Daily 5 approach for math, providing independent and group math activities focused on skills, games, technology and problem solving.

1. Daily 5…
(and other bits and
pieces)
Janine Johnston
Silverstream Primary School
janinej@silverstreamsouth.school.nz
www.silverstream2.wikispaces.com

2. Today’s Session
 Daily 5 as described by “The Sisters”
 Daily 5 in Room 2
 Other aspects of literacy in Room 2
 Adapting the philosophy and approach for maths
 Questions

3.  25 x Year 3 and 4 children
 Reading ages range from level 12 to 12 years
 Daily 5 approach used since the beginning of last year.
 I believe it has strengthened the reading and writing
culture in the class; difficult to say whether
achievement has improved!
 The independence of the children at reading time is
hugely improved, allowing me to get on with teaching
reading!

4. Daily 5 – “The Sisters”
Gail Boushey & Joan Moser
 Daily 5 came from a frustration that during literacy time
children were busy doing “stuff” and they were unable to
engage students in independent, meaningful reading practice.
 The ‘majority of teacher time was spent managing behaviour,
planning activities and putting out fires instead of teaching.
(They) didn’t have time to plan for excellent instruction that
would meet the children’s needs’ (p. 5)
 It is a structure for managing literacy time that enables
quality teaching to take place
 Designed to provide a platform to allow the teaching of CAFÉ
(comprehension, accuracy, fluency, expanding vocabulary),
meeting individual needs.

5. The Daily 5
 Inspired by New Zealander Margaret Mooney when she
modelled guided reading and the teachers asked what
the rest of the children were doing while this was taking
place.
 The examples Margaret gave evolved into the five tasks
that characterise Daily 5

6. Research based…
 Read to Self: The best way to become a better reader is to
practise each day, with books you choose, on your just-right
reading level. It soon becomes a habit.
 Read to Someone: Reading to someone allows for more time
to practise strategies, helping you work on fluency and
expression, check for understanding, hear your own voice,
and share in the learning community.
 Work on Writing: Just like reading, the best way to become a
better writer is to practise writing each day.
 Listen to Reading: We hear examples of good literature and
fluent reading. We learn more words, thus expanding our
vocabulary and becoming better readers.
 Word Work: Correct spelling allows for more fluent writing,
thus speeding up the ability to write and get thinking down on
paper. This is an essential foundation for writers (pp 11-12).

7. Core Foundations
 Trusting students
 Providing choice
 Nurturing a sense of community
 Creating a sense of urgency – we want to be better
readers and writers today!
 Building stamina
 Staying out of students’ way once routines are
established

8. Starting Out…
 Each child has their own book box
which has books in it from day 1.
 Good Fit books – choosing a book is like
choosing the right pair of shoes to wear
 I Pick books – before our first trip to the
library for the year

9. Read to Self
 Start with Read to Self – I Chart – Children’s Job/Teacher’s Job
– Purpose of building stamina and creating a sense of urgency
 3 ways to read a book – Read and talk about the pictures;
read the words; retell a previously read book
 Correct/Incorrect/Correct model – Goldfish bowl – children
reflecting using I Chart
 3 minutes practice – not strictly timed - stop when the first
child goes off task – NO praise or ‘managing’
 Reflect and review I Chart
 Next day… review I Chart and add another minute

10. Read to Someone
 Read to Someone I chart covers EEKK (Elbow to elbow,
knee to knee), acceptable voice level, how to choose a
partner, where to sit etc
 Again, start small… 3 minutes.
 I Read, You read – take turns to read the same
paragraph, more fluent reader goes first
 Check for Understanding – “I just heard you read” –
summarise
 Read Together – choral reading to build fluency
 Paper, scissors, rock to start

11. Word Work
 I Chart – expectations around using and returning
equipment, choices available, words to practise etc
 Start small… 3 minutes – stop when first child becomes
disengaged
 Opportunity to practise weekly spelling words, high
frequency words, word families etc

12. Work on Writing
 I Chart – expectations around what children can be
writing (not work on drawing), practising learning from
guided writing programme
 Start small… 3 minutes
 Independent writing book in their good fit book box
 Access to writing topics/genre examples/motivation/
vocabulary enrichment etc
 Disclaimer in front of writing book about “marking” – I
only mark those pieces the children want to publish –
“publishing perfect”

13. Listen to Reading
 I Chart – teaching children to use equipment
appropriately – building stamina not usually a problem
with this one!
 School Journal/Ready to Read
 iPods/iPads
 Interactive stories – iPad
 Storybee, Story Online, Silly Books, Speakaboos – online
sites

14. Putting it Together
 Introduce one aspect of the Daily 5 each week over five
weeks, all children doing the same thing at the same
time
 Build up the others while introducing a new aspect
 Children will be desperate to do it for longer!
 Don’t be afraid to back up – review and add to I Chart,
remember to keep modeling correct/incorrect/correct –
choosing children for whom it is a challenge

15. Daily 5 in Room 2
 Independent book boxes
 Mixed ability rotation groups – pull down
guided reading groups
 Use of a taskboard for rotation, shop bell to indicate time to
change – deliberate choice as it’s not too instrusive
 At the end of last year I had a chart up for each and the
children added their name to show where they were –
changing when they wanted to
 “I” Charts to set up routines and expected behaviours
 Focus on independence and self management – not
compliance – set expectations with children, model
correct/incorrect/correct, children practise, T carries out
his/her job, feedback afterwards, no interruptions to
children/T

16.  Friday alternatives – Friday box, spelling games, paired
writing
 I have always been a book shopper and have heaps of books at
school which have become part of our class library – also have
topic/author boxes that the children have requested using
school/town library, using school fair etc to build up class
library
 Friday – book shopping – after the library children sort their
boxes into three piles – library books, reading books, and I
Pick books. I put out all our class I Pick books and the children
“shop” for two books they would like in their own box for the
next week

17. Using iPads to support
learning
 Very aware of trying to avoid
consumption!
 Rotation – children learn to set timer, work with a
buddy, can choose from folders of apps named to
correspond with Daily 5 activities
 An app per week – Purposeful use of app in reading,
writing, maths

18. Learning Spaces

19. Oral Language & Shared Reading
 Using images to introduce/reinforce comprehension
strategies
 Newsbook ala Jill Eggleton – introduces and reinforces
vocabulary, grammar, spelling patterns etc
 Provides a shared reading resource

20. Inference…

21. Questioning

22. Integrating Strategies
Children write an observation, an inference and a prediction

23. Maths Daily 5
 Shares a similar philosophy as Reading Daily 5.
 Opportunity for children to work in mixed ability groups
on a range of tasks – less “paper” work, more real world
maths and scaffolded learning
 5 Activities – Maths by Myself, Maths with
Someone, Maths Games, Maths using
Technology, Problem Solving

24. Maths by Myself
 Must Do
Knowledge activity – 1 per week as a practise activity – in
plastic drawers.
 Can Do’s
Maths Reading – Collection of books with mathematical
concepts eg Counting on Frank, Nessa and the Missing Zero
Maths Writing – Knowledge focused writing
Star Number – powerpoint displayed on TV

25. Maths with Someone
 Must Do
Basic facts practice with a buddy.
We have a basic facts challenge ladder. Children are on an
individual step which is shared with parents and children
ask for a ‘basic facts challenge’ when they are ready to
move to the next stage.
Children practise their individual goal from their box on
Maths with Someone

26. Maths Games
 Numeracy and other maths games in boxes for each
group.
 Obviously with mixed ability groups this falls apart
somewhat but the children love the challenge and I
don’t see any harm – great opportunity for scaffolding
 “If you know about something that someone you’re
working with doesn’t, then teach them!”

27. Maths Using Technology
 Can Do’s
iPads – Basic Facts/Place Value/Fractions/Time folders for
the children to choose from
Wiki – Maths/Basic Facts tabs

28. Problem Solving
 Must Do
Follow up activity from Friday’s
problem solving session
Topic Task – Follow up from strand
teaching with release teacher from
the previous week
 Can Do’s
Problem solving cards, Sudoku etc

29. Any questions?