Before and After a Round of Daily 5

Sometimes it seems easier to just assign students to a Daily 5 rotation or just let them go one table at a time. I have tried many things and my teaching has changed as I have seen success with certain practices. I have a chart that someone else made and I adapted to fit my needs. It has my students and the rotations in a graph. I keep track of which choices they have gone to so they get to all the rotations before beginning again. It takes a couple of minutes to dismiss, but I feel the time is well worth it. Please also notice that if the students choose Read to Self I ask them which strategy they want to focus on. I have found this provides more accountability and they have more to share at the end if they already have a plan of action.

I'm sure you have some students who get cleaned up and back to carpet quickly and then it seems like forever before the last few students get there. I try to fill those down times with sight word practice or even begin having the students share what they have learned. Once the students see we are moving on they tend to get back to us more quickly. One of the most beneficial parts of Daily 5 is the sharing after a rotation. I can really see who is using the skills at an independent level and the other students get mini-lesson reviews from other students. If you are not taking a few minutes after each round to share - I think you are missing one of the best parts of the framework.

By the way - please excuse the crazy socks, spray painted hair, sunglasses, etc. in these videos.  These were made during Red Ribbon Week.