A Daily Five Diary Part 1: Implementing Daily 5 in a Departmentalized Upper Elementary Classroom

Over the summer I finally read The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. Due to the masters classes I'd been taking over the past few years, I kept putting it off, but now that I've read it I am fully in! All five parts that make up the daily regiment -- Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, and Word Work -- are research-based and contribute to a balanced literacy program. A total win-win, right?

So, here are my obstacles I'm trying to overcome as I implement Daily 5 in my fourth grade classroom:

A Bookaholic's Confession: Classroom Library Conundrum

Is anyone out there dissatisfied with the state of their classroom library? 

For years I've contemplated going about things differently, but after realizing that all of my best series, my favorite titles and most of my new books were missing and I was left with my old and unpopular titles, I decided something had to be done. That's right, folks, it was a classroom library conundrum!

This summer I've spent a great deal of time researching and working on my classroom library. Here is what I found:

TeachersPayTeachers Back to School Sale!

Tomorrow kicks off a two day back to school sale at Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT)! Be sure you don't miss out on this fabulous sale. Be sure to check out my TpT store to save 20%!

Happy Shopping!!

Fiction Comprehension Task Cards

The hubby is popping popcorn and the family movie is about to come on, so I'll be quick. I just posted to my TpT store a fabulous product that I use with my upper elementary reading students: I Mustache (Must Ask) You Something... General Fiction Task Cards. 

There are 16 cards included, but the great thing is that they are "general," meaning they can be paired with any fictional text with very little prep work from you. The questions range in complexity from easy, text-dependent to higher-level thinking.

I've used these cards with fourth and fifth graders in a variety of ways. Most recently, students used them after partner-reading upper elementary level picture books, while I worked with a small group of students. 

The download can be printed on card stock or good quality copy paper, and then cut into fourths. Laminate or cover them with clear contact paper for extra durability. (This also keeps you from reprinting them over and over.)

I honestly love these and use them quite a bit with different texts. I hope you will like them too.

Well, the movie has started. Have a great weekend!

(My informational text task cards are in the works, so check back soon.)

Virginia Readers' Choice Participation Certificate Freebie & Year-Long Project

Here we are only weeks away from the beginning of school. (Eeeekkk!)

I'm beginning to get freaked out and excited at the same time! I may be totally disorganized on some fronts this far out, but when it comes to my motivation for classroom reading, I have it planned. One of the things I plan to do this year, but on a bigger scale than ever before, is participation in the Virginia Readers' Choice Awards. Here in Virginia, our Reading Association, along with some other sponsors, release a list of potential best book winners. Actually, they put out four lists -- a primary, an elementary, a middle school, and a high school list, which you can check out here.

(Even if you aren't in Virginia, chances are your state has their own award. Check out this site for an incomplete, but fairly good list: Follett State Award Lists)

This year I plan to encourage this list more than I have in the past. I'm creating a bulletin board/book voting center (which I'll post once it's completed), which will feature a cover of each of the books from the elementary list. Also, I'm going to hand out a certificate and Virginia pencil each time a student completes one of the books. You can download the certificate (a FREEBIE!) on my TpT store. 

Students will get to vote on their favorite book (as long as they read at least four titles from the list during the school year). I really think the bigger deal I make of this the more my students will be encouraged to read.

In addition to all of this fun, I'm trying to work out a red carpet event for my classroom in which to announce the winning book for the Virginia State Readers' Choice Award. I haven't figured out all of the fine details on this yet, but I have until spring.

If you're a fellow Virginian, don't forget to download the "Virginia is for Book Lovers" participation certificate!

I'd love to hear your feedback on my plan. Do you participate in anything like this for your state? I'd love to hear from you!

10 Fabulous Items for an Upper Elementary Reading & Language Arts Classroom

Yep, it's here, folks! The bittersweet beginning of the end of summer break. The back-to-school sales are on, kids are picking out new bookbags and stalking the school websites for class lists and schedules, and teachers... Well, we are busy as well, decorating our classrooms, ordering supplies, and planning a year of exciting lessons -- which brings me to a bit of advice that I was once given and I've found to be true:
Always keep a wish list for your classroom. Seriously! You just never know when a grant or fund may come your way in education. It usually comes when you least expect it. 

With that in mind, here is my list of ten fabulous things for an upper elementary Reading/Language Arts classroom: