So....here are my questions. If you have an awesome I'd LOVE YOU FOREVER if you'd post a comment and help out!
- I LOVE Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Writing. Do I just incorporate this into my Daily 5....no extra writing time needed? Just give my minilesson during one of the blocks?
- Is it ok if I do 2 parts of the Daily 5 before lunch and 2 parts after?
- How long are each of your blocks? Right now I'm thinking 30 minutes for each part....that includes minilessons.
- Anyone willing to share their schedule?
If you can help me out, I thank you!
Mrs. M - I am not sure if you have stopped by Castles and Crayons blog, but she does a fabulous job of breaking everything down. I am not sure if it will help answer your specific questions; however, you will definitely get a better scope of the day to day.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about #1.
ReplyDelete#2 - I know that others have done the split times and it worked out for them.
#3 - My blocks are 20-25 mins with minilessons simply because they are K and can't go for too long. I think 30 (20 of D5 and 10 minilesson) would be great part for 1st.
#4 - I am only able to do 3 rotations. So we check-in; 15-20 mins Round 1; 10 mins minilesson/check-in; 15-20 Round 2; 10 mins minilesson/check-in; 15-20 Round 3; 10 mins minilesson/check-in; we do have a seperate shared reading and writing time later in the day
I have a Daily 5 linky party on my blog you can check out to find other blogs who are participating.
HTH!
Cathy I.
mrsirwinsclass@gmail.com
Mrs. I's Class
#1- I'm not sure. They don't really adress teaching writing besides having "work on writing" as one of the stations. I have a writing curriculum from the county that I have to teach so I plan on doing in a whole group lesson and then have them work on assignments during work on writing.
ReplyDelete#2- It is definitely ok to split the daily five (they talk about this in the book) because it is split into workstations you should be able to clean up from one, go to lunch, and come back to another without any problem. This might actually help for students who get restless!
#3- I only have 90 minutes to teach reading and writing so I will have a 5 min review of what we did the day before then 15 min. each of a mini-lesson, 2 rotations, a mini-lesson, 2 rotations, and a 5 minute closure.
#4- I blogged about another schedule I might use here: http://awigginsworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/literacy-organization-ideas-freebies.html
hope this helped!
Adrienne
awigginsworld@blogspot.com
1.Yes, you could try to fit that in during the mini lessons but I still do a writer's workshop after my Daily 5 because my kids need me during that time. During Daily 5 I have them do choice writing in a journal. They love to have a choice of what to write about instead of a prompt like in writing workshop.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, do Daily 5 however it fits your schedule.
3. 30 minutes including mini lessons is perfect! Don't expect that at first but that is what you'll want to build up to!
Round One:
15 mins mini lesson 15 mins working
Round Two:
15 mins mini lesson 15 mins working
Round Three:
15 mins mini lesson 15 mins working
Round Four:
15 mins mini lesson 15 mins working
Round Five:
15 mins mini lesson 15 mins working
5 mins closure
I have done a few institute days about the daily 5. I would love to talk to you. We can Skype or chat live. Let me know if younstill have questions.
ReplyDeleteOkay here's my thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. I'm planning on allowing my kids to choose writing as one of their Daily 5 choices, however I am also going to have another time where all the children are writing at the same time.
2. I think breaking up the time is fine! The mini-lesson breaks lend themselves to a natural break anyway.
3. I'm planning 10-15 minute mini-lessons and then a 20 minute work period. So yeah 30 minutes should be fine.
4.I posted the schedule I'm thinking on my blog: http://gluesticksgamesandgiggles.blogspot.com/
This will be my second year with Daily 5 and CAFE. I'm planning on really diving in this year so hopefully it goes well!
Hi Mrs M,
ReplyDeleteI have used Daily 5 and CAFE in my Grade 1 classroom this year and I too am learning, tweeking and planning to do it again next year. I will answer your questions as best I can.
#1 - I have heard of Lucy Calkins but really know nothing about this curr. so I can't answer anything. I teach writing in mini lessons, do lots of modelling and do have some separate writing times. My class this year LOVED to write. I think it was because they had choice of when and how to do it.
#2 - do what works for you. I usually got 3 sessions done before lunch and rarely did any after lunch. People have made it work, I didn't do it with the group I had this year. They were not so focused in our afternoon. Lots have folks have made it work lots of ways.
#3 - I planned for 20/30 min lessons. Kids really did seem to lose it after that long. I tried not to have longer sessions, unless I asked them to do something specific that we were all doing together. With everyone doing different things I always had to plan for first finishers, some kids finished up other sessions in 2nd session. I always tried to have at least 3 sessions and they had to do read to self and writing everyday. Also all my sessions were not the same length and kids got good at asking if this was the longest daily 5 so they knew what they would have time to finish. Short session they often picked Read to Self, longer session they choose writing (or read to others...)
#4. my day kinda looked like
morning message - often mini lesson included
1st Daily 5
Phonics
Recess/snack
2nd Daily 5
writing/reading/theme activity
3rd Daily 5 and sometimes we had chance for
4th Daily 5
Afternoon was math/themes (usually SS or Sc)/gym/buddy reading/lesson structured activities
This is what worked with this group, we will see what works with others.
Hope that helps a little - any thing else you want to chat my skype is mrssoltauheller or http://sarahjane.edublogs.org/
#3
#1 I'm not sure about #1 either. I teach my writing lessons during the mini lesson time before students choose. I like to use Craft Lessons for fiction and nonfiction as well as 4 Blocks mini lessons during this time.
ReplyDeleteI think too, that it is good to keep in mind that the Sisters suggest that the mini lesson time should equal the age of your students (so 8 minutes for 8 year old etc).
#2 Definitely! I do the opposite, one round before lunch and two after lunch. It was the only way could make it all fit in.
#3 We work up to 30 minutes for each round (including the mini lesson) once we have built stamina.
#4
11:30-12:00 Round 1
mini lesson is often reading related
12:45-1:15 Round 2
mini lesson is a read aloud incorporating reading strategy modeling
1:15-1:45 Round 3
mini lesson is often writing related
1:45-2:00 Sharing
**We also have a book shopping time every second Friday to chose books for Read to Self and Read to Someone. Students choose 8-10 books.
I can't answer your questions because I'm battling the same issues. This will be my first year doing this, and I'll have a 60 minute block to work. As I get more of a schedule worked out, I'd be glad to share with you!
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, if your are on twitter, I'd invite you to a Daily 5 chat that will be happening this Friday night (or any time actually) at 7:00 CST. You can follow it at the hashtag: #daily5 I can be found @AnIowaTeacher
Good luck and keep us informed on your progress!
Thank you thank you, teacher friends! What fabulous ideas!
ReplyDeleteI do Daily 5 and Lucy Calkins. Every morning we have a 90min uninterrupted lit block. We do 3 rounds of Daily 5, a mini lesson in the beginning and then a mini lesson after the 3 rounds. I found out it was difficult to get all 3 rounds in while putting mini lessons in the middle of the rounds. Then after lunch we do writers workshop, the mini lessons are kept to under 10 minutes. As the year go on, we decrease quiet time and increase our writing time. I know a teacher at my school does the one mini lesson from the CAFE and then the other from Lucy Culkins. Let me know if I can help any more!
ReplyDeleteI do daily 5 and Lucy Calkins!
ReplyDeleteI would do them both as a stand alone as much as I can. Reading generally takes all morning, although I may throw a writing rotation into my reading time when they are just working on their own and don't need to meet with me.