Exciting changes for 2010!

I hope that you all had a wonderful winter break and stayed safe in all the snow and ice! I'm excited to get 2010 off to a great start in 2nd grade!

There are going to be some very exciting changes going on in the first and second grade pod starting January 4! As a building, Langston Hughes staff members have been studying the book "The Daily Five", by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. In the weeks to come, you will be hearing your 2nd graders talk about our use of the Daily Five framework in our classroom! The Daily Five is a way of structuring our reading block so that every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading achievement, as well as help foster children who love to read. Students receive explicit instruction and then are given independent practice time to read independently while receiving focused instruction in regular guided reading groups. When the Daily Five is up and running smoothly, students will be engaged in the following five components:

1. Read to Self
2. Read to Someone
3. Listen to Someone Read
4. Writing Practice
5. Word Work

There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily Five component. We will spend the next two weeks taking a break from regular guided reading groups in order to work intensely on building reading and writing stamina, learning behaviors for the Daily Five, and building our classroom community.

One thing that you will notice that will be a change for you is a decrease in the number of worksheets your child brings home. Instead, your child will be taught to select "Good Fit" books (books they are able to read and understand, as well as are interested in). They will spend most of their time actually reading and writing, which research supports as the most effective way to to improve reading and writing success.

The first and second grade team is excited to give your child the opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have such a positive effect on his or her education. Please let me know if you have any questions as we begin this new adventure at Langston Hughes!