Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Daily 5, Chapter 5

Since it’s like a million degrees outside today,
stuff 163I had a good excuse just to stay in and finish reading the remaining three chapters of the Daily 5.  This week’s book study is hosted by Mechelle, Kelli (with freebies), and Melissa (with freebies).

D5

My friend Stef read the Daily 5 book a couple of weeks ago and she told me Chapter 5 really stuck with her, specifically “Read to Someone”.  I looked forward to getting into this chapter to see what it was all about and how it was managed.

Two additional components of the Daily 5 were introduced in this chapter – Read to Someone and Listen to Reading. 

Read to Someone is not only very engaging for the kids because it’s fun, but it also gives them ANOTHER opportunity to practice reading and increases fluency.  This component certainly isn’t rocket science as I think most, if not all, primary teachers have done partner reading in one way or another.  However, the Sisters take it a step or two further. There are three ways to read to someone…
- Read while partner checks for understanding – comprehension work
- I read, You read (same section) – fluency work
- Different Books – take turns reading a section to each other

Like with read to self, direct instruction on the expectations of this component and MODELING it over and over again are the keys.  I can see this turning into chaos in the classroom if the expectations are not made clear from the beginning and revisited often.  The book does include some strategies for solving some concerns that may arise like finding a partner and choosing which book to read together.  Showing the kids how to be reading coaches when their partners struggle with a word or comprehension is also addressed.  The kids are shown that helping isn’t always telling the answer, but sometimes it means giving wait time and being patient.  I like that.

Number 3 of the Daily 5 is Listen to Reading.  This is probably the simplest of components, but one I think is so important.  Most families of the kids in my class struggle with reading at home to their kids. Regardless if it’s lack of language, time, or effort the kids are missing a key piece to developing as readers.  Having the opportunity to listen to good readers read is essential, and a lot of our kids only get that in the classroom.  Audio books with copies of the book to go along with allow kids to get that listening in when they are not working with the teacher.  Again, this is not new for most primary teachers.  An a-ha for me was that the Sisters use individual listening devices rather than several students at a listening center.  Most of my books on tape have only a single book with them so it is difficult for a group to follow along with the words.  The individual devices allow for students to actually follow along, pointing to the words as they read.  Also, rather than the teacher deciding what book the group will listen to, each child has a little more choice if it is individual. 

I have boxes of books on tape so technically this should be easy.  However, they are cassette tapes so finding individual listening devices, ya know those cassette walkmans from the 80s,  will be more difficult.  There is a way of converting the tapes into mp3 which can then be burned on a cd or listened to on the computer or mp3 player.  The cost of it was quite reasonable, but the amount of time it takes might be an issue with hundreds of tapes to convert.  If anyone ran into and solved the same dilemma, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Overall, this chapter put a refreshing take on some old school strategies.  I enjoyed reading about some ways to make them even more effective.  It is also clear that modeling and practicing the expectations for each component are so important in order for the kids (not the teacher) to manage themselves.  I know that once the school year gets into full swing and each day is a time crunch to fit everything in, the constant revisiting will be difficult.  If I feel that I’m having to manage it too much, I won’t want to do it anymore.  I hope to frontload these strategies the first few weeks of school and then embed some time regularly into the year to keep things running smoothly. 

Here’s the linky thingy…

21 comments:

  1. I don't think you'll need all the books from cassette to mp3 at the same time. So that should cut the time dramatically.
    The moving from tape really is easy-peasy. Here's the route http://www.wikihow.com/Transfer-Cassette-Tape-to-Computer it's as clearcut as any of the instructions I met. And with the spoken voice there will be no editing.
    In fact the only issue is the need for an up-to-date computer and finding those blasted cables.
    Of course the other way is to go to one of those Nerd shops. Play the helpless woman act - they're innocent so should swallow that one- and get them to show you.
    You may need to take care about Copyright.

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    1. Thanks for that link Vince! The directions seem clear enough, but I'll practice my helpless act just in case. ;) Ya if I just do a few at a time, maybe what I need for each week or so, it won't seem as daunting.

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  2. Ages ago when I didn't have tapes for the books I would record myself reading the book. You might be able to get some of them online. I am reading "Reading for Real," on book clubs nad the strategies sound very similar. Although it wasn't a billion degrees here today I did spend some time reading outside.

    Happy Wednesday!

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    1. Ahhh the good old days. I inherited some of those teacher recordings from my mom. There are a lot of websites now with books read aloud which are great. I'm not sure of how much computer access I will have at the new school so I'll have to play that by ear. I've not heard of the book you are reading. I do like the idea of book clubs but have had a hard time fitting them into the day. Looking forward to hearing how they work out in 1st grade.

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  3. Hi! I've awarded you with a blog award! Come on by to pick it up!!

    The Versatile Blog Award

    Kristen
    A Day in First Grade

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  4. Hi, Kimberly, thanks for bringing up the tape-to-CD transfer issue...the link that Vince gave above led me to a video about transferring tapes with a tape recorder onto my MAC. So, it may be doable for me (and not too difficult)...

    Treasures for Teaching

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    1. Hi, Kimberly. You can see the awesome book boxes we got from Donors Choose in this post: http://www.treasuresforteaching.com/2012/06/daily-5-book-study-chapter-3.html Let me know if need more info...

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    2. Thanks Monica...those are great and so is Donors Choose...I foresee another proposal in my future. I appreciate you sharing the link. :)

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  5. I love this post! I hope that your students will get the routine down in the first few weeks, then it will be like you are on auto-pilot.

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  6. I have a boy who will be ready to go to school in a few years and I hope the teachers he gets put this much thought and effort into him and his classes and development.. thank you

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  7. Replies
    1. I know right?!?! It's about 10 degrees cooler today, but overcast and muggy, which is unusual for us. Ick! I'd prefer VERY hot and dry to very hot and muggy. :)

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  8. Just two follow on's. I hadn't looked at the gauge. I hadn't seen the 43 degrees centigrade. I really don't think such exists outside of a saucepan.
    I've had a thing about that comment on rocket science where it implies profound complication. But it's really only a big syringe if you think on it. :-D

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    1. It's a little early in our summer for it to be so hot. July is usually warm, but cools off at night rather nicely. It's still about 90 outside right now. It'll be a long summer if this continues.
      I'm almost certain that rocket science is more complicated than what I do. I don't even understand what you mean by a big syringe. :) Is that a phrase used across the Atlantic?
      BTW - I found the Y cable at Target today. I'm looking forward to trying out the cassette transfer. Thanks again for that info.

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    2. A rocket is a tube with a hole at one end where the contents are forced out under pressure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolipile You on the other hand have charge of lord knows how many moving parts.
      And no it's not used over this side. I forgot that connotation.

      Ask the Nerds about software, they feel new stuff coming out. There may be better than what's on that site I pointed out. Actually I'd say there is. Really what you need is a plug and play. Where you simply stick the thing in and press a button or two :-|.

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  9. I totally relate with your thought that these are "old school" ideas with a better spin! I do find that I need to do more revisiting of appropriate Read to Someone. I'll really be working on that this year!! It's hard for me to take time from groups to monitor the Daily Five, but I plan to do it lots, especially at the beginning of the year!

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    1. I want that time I meet with students to be uninterrupted, so I completely understand the difficulty. The beginning of the year is going to be key for me. If I need to start group time a week or two later in order to get these components down, I need to do it...but that of course is easier said than done.

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