The Daily 5 - Chapter 3

Wow, this is such a helpful chapter! The management and behaviour strategies are research driven and make such good sense!

A brief summary of this chapter and my notes in italics:

• Establishing a gathering space. I already have a successful space with enough room for circle time or shared reading. I have a movable easel which also doubles as a big book holder. I have my sight words word wall behind my teaching chair for easy reference. Sometimes I sit on the mat with my kids though. 
• Good fit books. This is something that I am struggling with because I have so many pre-readers. I have a few ideas I will try - a poetry folder for each child; anchor charts (IPICK); and sourcing more repetitive books from the school library.
• Anchor charts. I have started to keep and store these. I am using large scrapbooks and clipping them to my easel sideways. Might need to take a photo for you to get the idea! A chart I need to do next week is the 3 ways to read a book. This might help some of my pre-readers. 
• Setting up Book Boxes. This is one is difficult. I can borrow up to 100 books from the school library (which means each child can have 4 books). I have a limited amount of leveled books (approximately 10 of each RR level). So, what shall I do? Spend my own money?? Not unheard of. I am thinking I will create Poetry Folders for each child, plus 2 leveled books and 2 library books. The next thing to organise is the actual boxes: I want to do this frugally of course! Maybe each child can bring a large cereal box from home and the kids can decorate their own box. 
• Short Intervals of Repeated Practice. Model, model, model! I especially like this idea that you stop the class as soon as one child displays undesirable behaviours and regroup. I need to get some nice chimes to signal to children to come to the mat. 
• Signals and Check Ins: I already said that the chimes are necessary! Lots of practicing to create a habit. 
• Check Ins:  I love the self reflection with a thumbs up if the kid was working independently. 
• Correct model / Incorrect model: I already do this of course, but I need to make it more of a priority, especially modelling the INCORRECT behaviour.