Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to a new school year! I wanted to make you aware
that over the summer I took a class on the Daily 5. I was eager to do some
research to find a reading and writing program that most benefits students as
they become readers, writers, and lifelong learners. As a result, the
structure of my literacy block may look and sound a little different. I am so
EXCITED to say the least!
Pretty soon, you will hear your child talking about, "The Daily
Five." The purpose of this letter is to fill you in on what The Daily Five is
all about, so you don't have to nod your head while wondering what in the
world your child is referring to.
The Daily Five is a way of structuring the reading block so
every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These
research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student
reading and writing achievement, as well as help foster children who love to
read and write. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then
are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I
provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of
students.
When it is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in
the Daily Five, which are comprised of:
*Read to Self
*Work on Writing
*Read to Someone
*Listen to Reading
*Work Work
There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each
Daily 5 component. We will spend our first weeks working intensely on building
our reading and writing stamina, learning the behaviors of the Daily 5, and
fostering our classroom community. I will also spend time learning about your
child's strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to best plan for
each student's instruction.
One thing you'll notice that may change for you is a direct
decrease in the number of worksheets your child brings home. While reading
worksheets keep students busy during reading time, they don't really result in
the high level of learning I want for your child. Instead, your child will be
taught to select, "Good Fit Books" or books they can read, understand, and are
interested in. They will be spending most of their time actually reading,
which research supports as the number one way to improve reading. I anticipate
the motivation and enjoyment of reading with skyrocket when this gift of
choosing their own books is accompanied by extended practice and specific
reading instruction for each individual child.
As you can see, I am excited about giving your child the
opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have a positive effect on
their education.
Please think of our classroom as you visit garage sales or
clean your own child's bookcase. It is my goal to make our classroom library
as appealing as your favorite bookstore for browsing.
I hope to see you all at Back to School Night so I can answer
any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Ms. Maggiacomo