The Daily Five

The Daily Five: Fostering LIteracy Independence in the Elementary Grades
by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser

The Daily Five provides a framework for managing a literacy-based classroom in which students work independently while teachers meet with small groups and confers with individuals. Students read independently, read with someone, write, participate in word work, and listen to reading.


In Part I , the authors lay the foundation for The Daily Five by discussing their evolution from managing classrooms to building literacy-based communities with their students. They provide details about the research behind the ideas for each component of the literacy block.  During these chapters, they also offer glimpses into how this should look in a classroom, including a chapter focusing on the values and habits that are essential to the Daily Five: trust, choice, community, sense of urgency, stamina, and room to think. Chapter three outlines the basic how-to's of The Daily Five giving readers ideas for key materials and routines. Details are provided about how to set up your room, select books, model reading, shared signals, and student check-ins. 


Part II, The Daily Five in Action, provides detailed instruction on how implement The Daily Five. Each chapter in this section focuses on one trait and provides classroom activities and management strateies. In each chapter you will also find a chart showing what students are doing and what the teacher should be doing for that particular aspect of The Daily Five. At the end of Part II, chapter seven troubleshoots common challenges teachers have encounted with The Daily Five. 


The appendix includes lesson structure for the first five weeks to launch The Daily Five in your classroom. 

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Boushey, Gail, & Moser, Joan. (2006). The Daily 5. Portland: Stenhous