I have some hunches and some questions.(I know, big surprise) First of all, the hunches.
Hunch #1
What the authors are describing is not new. Many literacy experts have suggested what is essentially a workshop approach and many of us have been working this way for some time. What these authors do is describe it in a very teacher-friendly, meaningful and concrete way. We can see ourselves in the picture they are creating.
Hunch #2
The book describes a structure, not a program. Because of that, there are many ways in for teachers. We can take what we are already doing in our literacy block and adapt it based on the Daily 5. Or, we can set it up exactly as they tell us to, knowing that it has worked for many teachers and will likely work for us. Or, we can start slowly, making one change at a time and reflecting on how it is working and what our next steps might be. Wait a second, this is starting to sound a lot like the ways in which I think about differentiation. The structure is open-ended enough to meet the needs of all kinds of teachers. It appears to help a wide range of teachers meet the literacy goals they have for their students.
Hunch #3
The structure is based on some very solid research and practices. In the approach, as I understand it, students are spending ever increasing amounts of time reading and writing, not doing activities about parts of reading and writing. They are engaged in real reading and writing... daily, at school. Like our Balanced Literacy Framework, the Daily 5 approach supports a gradual release of responsibility. Students see many models and demonstrations. They have whole group, small group and individual experiences. The instruction is differentiated, it is at their level. It is also strategy based, recognizing that readers need strategies and explicit teaching at all levels of proficiency. All kinds of strategies. Strategies for decoding, for comprehension, for choosing just right books, for reading chapter books, for reading non-fiction...
I also have questions. Some are mine and some are from teachers I have been talking with. If you have answers, or more questions, or comments on how it is working for you, leave a comment or send me an email.
- In what ways is the Daily 5 working for you?
- What adaptations have you made to the structure?
- In what ways does the Daily 5 not help you meet the goals you have for your students as literacy learners?
- How do you keep the Daily 5 alive?
- Would you like to get together with other teachers exploring this approach?
- Do I need to make reading The Cafe Book a priority? Why?
Bravo Brenda - and thanks for your effort. I really appreciate your bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteFor immersion teachers who are interested in CAFE, I have translated and adapted some tools for students and I have permission from the sisters (and their publisher) to post them on the web. See: https://sites.google.com/site/reneammann/pour-profs/en-francais/cafe.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
For Daily 5, I have also adapted and translated some stuff but since the book has been translated in French, I cannot post it. Just ask me... or trouve le livre "Les 5 au quotidien" (disponible à la DREF).
I can see both your post and you comment.... I am thinking that those are 2 of the most fundamental elements needed for 'working'!! :) Though I have not personally taken the Daily 5 as a guide, I believe that the strength of the approach, and other approaches that also focus on raising or growing (sounds a little horticultural there but you know what I mean) self-directed and conscious or self-aware readers, is that students are empowered to make their own literacy choices by being exposed to and guided through the critical elements that support making good choices for themselves as learners, readers and writers. Some might see this as a very loose set up because the teacher's role becomes much different from the role as experienced in a more traditional setting. I think that the dynamic of this kind of a readers workshop setting requires that the teacher relinquishes the role of 'teller' and takes on a far more analytical role in determining what needs, strategies etc the individuals in the class need, then supporting them as they practice and hone them. I believe that this shift can be intimidating simply because it can seem to move the loci of control out of our hands and we are now, in some ways, almost dancing to the tunes they are hearing...we are responding to their needs individually and that requires that we use a much more intensive approach that is deeply reflective and analytical...does that make any sense??
ReplyDeleteBravo Brenda - and thanks for your effort. I really appreciate your bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteFor immersion teachers who are interested in CAFE, I have translated and adapted some tools for students and I have permission from the sisters (and their publisher) to post them on the web. See: https://sites.google.com/site/reneammann/pour-profs/en-francais/cafe.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1
For Daily 5, I have also adapted and translated some stuff but since the book has been translated in French, I cannot post it. Just ask me... or trouve le livre "Les 5 au quotidien" (disponible à la DREF).
I started with The Daily Five this year and it works for me. I think the reason it worked for me in the beginning was because the book was easy to read, understand and it was short! I could start reading it, get excited about it and get going with it right away. It didn't take too long to figure it out. I love all things organization. So a structure that was organized AND meaningful was like music to my ears! Also, I have a wonderful teaching partner to explore ideas and chat things through with.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, it is not new. Many teachers are doing these things already but it organizes things in an easy to follow way and is teacher friendly. The lessons that are described to get you started and introduce the "choices" seem a little "really? You want me to do that?" but they work and the kids remember them.
I like the structure (remember? All things organization!). The kids know exactly what is expected of them when they are engaged in the different choices and the I-Charts are easy to reference when kids need to be reminded of what is expected. The structure allows the kids to be independent and answers the question that many teachers ask, "what will my students do while I am conferencing with individuals?" They are not just "busy" while I conference, they are engaged in purposeful activities.
Adaptations?
I try not to get too hung up on the kids being quiet and whispering. I was at first and I found myself wondering, "why?" If they are talking about relevant stuff I shouldn't stop them.
If it is the kind of day that I need things to be a little quieter or I need them to be more independent while I conference with certain students, I guide their choices to the ones that they can do quietly and independently. For example...indoor reccess all week?
When there is a reading or writing activity that I need them to get done, for example, TWAS or Weekend Update, or editing a story they must make one of their choices for the day Writer's Workshop (or work on writing) and they need to do that writing activity.
One thing I miss about my pre-Daily Five days
(with this group) is the amazing Writer's Workshop sessions we would have all together. They love to write and share their writing. They used to constantly "publish" their writing on video or audio recorders with a friend or in front of the whole class. Since we have switched to the Daily Five format, they are still writing a lot but we don't make the time to celebrate, share their writing and document it on video as much. When everyone was working on writing they were all in that mode and pumped to share their work at the end of the workshop. I need to work on adjusting our format so I can get back into this.
Do you need to make Cafe a priority? You need to make The Cafe Book a priority because it is the "meat and potatoes" of the literacy program. The Daily Five is the structure and The Cafe is the strategies and assessment pieces that make it a literacy program. And if you are anything like me, you will love getting your "pensive" set up because you can go and get nice new dividers with nice new labels and everything will be organized! By the way, all the documents they talk about are on the cd in the back of the book to print. I just finished writing my report cards and having all the notes, observations and assessment pieces in one place organized by student was really great. I put other subject "things" in there too, not just literacy.
I would love to talk some more with other teachers who are on their literacy program journey, especially if it involves The Daily Five :). My teaching partner and I did a class visit to a great 1-2 multiage class with The Daily Five in full swing and it was really great to see and experience.
I think I should stop now, although this has been a lovely distraction from my to-do list!
Leslie :)
Hi Brenda,
ReplyDeleteI would definitely like to continue conversations with other teachers about their "Daily 5". We have had some great ones in our school and it would be great to extend beyond our close community.
As you said Daily 5 is nothing new -just prettier packaging. Sharon Taberski laid out a very similar structure 15 years ago in her book On Solid Ground (which you have on your shelf below!). The part about Daily 5 that is new is the "training" and explicit teaching of behaviours and expectations. Secondly, they really link the structure with detailed reading instruction in CAFE. It is really worth the read because that is the whole point of Daily 5 - the teaching of reading and writing.
I too feel I have given up a bit of Writer's Workshop because I can't look around and see all my students writing at one time. (Oh those exciting days!) But I do think that the element of choice and independence has really hooked my students this year. And I have so much more room in Daily 5 structure for differentiation. My students' reading range this year is level 25 plus down to level 1 (IEP). And each student can work independently for a period of time in Daily 5. Powerful stuff to be a beginning reader and be included daily in the "readers and writers club" in grade 2.
Teresa