Kindergarten Daily 5 Book Study- Chapter 1

 As you may know, I am a part of this awesome book study hosted by Tammy from Live, Love, Laugh Kindergarten. Today we are discussing Chapter 1

Before I started this D5, I did not think for one second my awesome class would do these strategies. I was like, you ladies are NUTS. I was wrong... my class did them, loved them, and even begged me for more time. I was the one who was NUTS! I didn't want to give them control. 

I also had to think of the D5 as a framework to input that works for me as a teacher, what I liked, what my students' liked and needed, and what fit for my teaching style. There is not one way to do this... you can make this work for you!

So onto the questions posted by Tammy...

1. How do I teach new behaviors?

Chart and model... model... model... model... and model some more. Those charts are the visual reminders. You want to model the right way and the wrong way EVERYDAY. 

I made very visual charts for my class with lots of color and graphics.

{here}.

2. How do I teach expectations?

See above. When modeling and building that stamina, you have to follow the rules too. No walking around checking on students. You are reading, they are reading. 

When someone doesn't do it right- that is a teachable moment to stop and come together to discuss. 

I know this sounds crazy, but they will do it even at age 5 if you set the standard high.

I made these bookmarks as a visual reminder to my students on what I expect while they are reading to self and reading to others. It has the same graphics on it as the charts do.

Click the picture to take you to the download. It is FREE.

3. How do I monitor student behavior? whole group? small groups? individual?

This was my biggest concern. (Remember I didn't want to give up control.)

I had always taught using 4 small groups in the am. One group was with me, another with my aid, and the other two were independent. Since we were all use to this way and it was already part of our routine, I started incorporating the D5 into it. (I started this in March.)

I started allowing my independent group to read to self. Then I let that group read to others, then listening to reading. My other small group was doing word work just like always, but now I could call it that. I still had one group with me and the other with my assistant. I had to get the class {and me!} to go from our structure and routine to the new one. Once we did this for about 3 weeks, I moved onto a choice board. 

Here is a picture of my choice board.

All these parts are in the Daily 5 Starter Set.

I let my assistant man the choice board for the first week we did it. This was to guide my students into making their choice and going to that choice. For example, they couldn't go to listen to reading if all the headphones were taken. I recommend this!

Once everything each element was taught, there wasn't much monitoring I had to do. I really got to teach way more than I thought I would. Even my problem children were not more of a problem. They were still a problem, but they bothered less people.

4. What do I do when a student is not exhibiting desired behavior?

I would make a choice on the board for them if I didn't see the desired behaviors. This only happened for one student a handful of times. He didn't like reading to self the whole time and changed his tune quickly.

Let's be real... it is going to happen. So have a plan ready. Mine was change your choice to read to self.

5. Whose classroom is it?

The answer should be your students' classroom, although we like to say it ours. I struggles with this one too.

7. Where are supplies stored?

I taught each area in D5 independently. Teaching each area included where supplies are and where they should be returned to. The students should be responsible for getting out and putting away materials so problem solve this for them in the beginning of the year.

One thing you need to think about now is your classroom library. You want your students to get their own books from it and return those they have read. This takes preparation and planning on your part. Here is what worked for me.

Here is my original post about this.

I had places in the classroom for listening stations, iPads, iPods, and meet with teacher. I need to have those on a specific table to location for obvious reasons.
I left read to self and read to others open for students to choose where they wanted to be.

Hope these idea help those on their Daily 5 adventure. I can't wait to see what everyone else writes so I can learn from you guys as well. I am also interested in seeing what changes I will have to make with my class because I am sure I will not be able to do it exactly the same way.

Lastly, I have a guest blogging spot at...

 It is all about Father's Day!