This year I  will be implementing a strategy called The Daily 5. This management system was created with children's needs in mind. In this system, I will be teaching students 3 Mini-Lessons. Each Mini-Lesson will be based on the Standards that are given to teachers by the state of Ohio. After each Mini-Lesson your child will have a choice to do 1 of 5 things.

• Read to Self- In this option your child will be practicing his/her individual reading skills. These skills include: creating mental images, using background knowledge, asking questions, making inferences, etc. Your child will be reading books that he/she has picked, on his/her level.
• Read with Someone- In this option students will choose a partner to read with. Students will develop skills that make them a good partner and listener, as well as work on his or her fluency and expression.
• Listening- This year I have converted all of my listening tapes to MP3, students will have several books to choose from and be able to listen to their own book during this time. Listening to fluent, expressive readers while following along is a proven strategy for increasing students reading abilities.
• Words- In this center, students will have the opportunity to work alone, or in a small group, with words. Students will have the opportunity to practice spelling words and "popcorn" words. They will also have the chance to explore word meanings and origins.
• Writing- Students will work on the writing skills necessary to communicate effectively through writing. This includes written paragraphs, stories, letters, etc.

While children are completing thier choices (each day Read to Self and Writing are mandatory), I will be working with a small group, and then having conferences with individual students. This management system allows me to teach children in a whole group setting, as well as small group and even individual! I am so excited to begin!

You can learn more about The Daily 5 at http://www.the2sisters.com/the_daily_5.htm