Guest Post with... The Groovy Teacher

Hi There! I am so happy to be guest blogging for my friend Gina. I've been thinking a lot about this upcoming school year and all the changes that I want to make in my classroom ( I teach 1st grade). That's the great thing about summer, it gives you all kinds of time to think. And I've also thought about the things in my classroom that I never really change because they already work well. One of those things is The Daily Five. Whether you have the Daily Five working for you already or you are thinking of implementing it this school year, I hope that this post can help you.

I try to start it early in the school year and it does take a lot of work to have it running smoothly. But, when all 5 components have been taught, practised and put into action, it is an amazing feeling to look around and see everybody on task and you (the teacher) able to work with a small group in peace.

Here was the first thing I did to get started. I read this book. It's a must!

Once I introduce the Daily 5 to my kids, the one thing that I am never fussy about is where my kids read. It can be anywhere, as long as they are reading. All of the other stations, work with words, work on writing, etc... I have designated spots for those. And I am lucky, I have a nice guided reading table. 

There is a lot for kids to know as they move through each component, so to make it easier, I made these Daily Five posters to help my kids remember what they need to do for each activity, here is a sneak peek at them. I use the word RIGHT in each one, so that they are learning to do Daily Five the right way and also to give them a little trick for remembering what they need to do.

It really helps my kids cause there is just so much for them to remember. These are just a few of them, but if you would like the whole set you can get a copy of it by clicking on the pic below.

I hope this was able to help you a bit, especially if you are looking for Daily Five ideas. Have a great summer and you can always visit me here

Leslie - Guest blogging for