As part of our literacy block each morning, we use a program called Daily 5. Another SMS teacher and I read a book several years ago by 'The Sisters' Gail Boushey and Joan Moser and decided to dive head first into a new way of thinking about literacy. Mind you none of the practices are particularly new to education, they are simply streamlined and presented to the children in a much more appropriate way.
Fast forward three years and now all our classes from Preschool to 4th Grade use Daily 5 for our literacy instruction. The premise of the program is to use mini lessons whole group and to allow for individualization during small group skill practice. Daily 5 also incorporates a high amount of self selected, self directed learning time. This is rarely an easy task in Preschool. Just two years ago we did not even begin Daily 5 with our kiddos until January when we felt they had established routines well. Last year Janna and I were confident the kiddos were even more mature and could handle introducing Daily 5 in October.
I must say your children are AMAZING. We decided this was the year we would hit the ground running. We began Daily 5 on our first full day of school and the children are doing a phenomenal job.
We are explicitly teaching skills in small groups and then moving those same tasks to our 'Daily 5 tubs' for the children to use independently. Daily 5 allows us time to watch the children guide their education. The children are working together, mimicking patterns of instruction they hear us use, reteaching a friend when help may be needed and even showing themselves they can do things independently.
We have never seen a group of children so quickly embrace the 'how and why' of school. Our first few days of school have been so amazing. The children are cooperative, productive, and most of all kind.
