The Daily Five (Free Classroom Resources!)

Well, hello! I hope you all have been soaking up summer vacation. My aunt posted this on her Facebook last night and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She is not a teacher on summer vacation, can you tell? Poor lady! I couldn’t even respond because I didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that I still have about a month of vacation left. However, I did secretly smile.  But, don’t think for a moment that just because I’m on vacation, I’m not thinking about school. You know you are too! I am beyond excited to begin implementing The Daily 5 into my classroom this year. Actually, our ENTIRE school is!

I have read it cover to cover TWO TIMES, and taken many notes! I plan on reading it again before the beginning of the year. Here are my questions for YOU: Have you read the book? Do you use it? Do you like it? What don’t you like? Tips? I wish we could go grab a cup of coffee and gab for hours! That would be so fun! As I read through the book the second time, I jotted down some things I wanted to make prior to the beginning of the school year to help me feel a little more prepared! Because I love you all so much, I’m sharing them here with you guys too! Check out some free resources below: Slide1 After reading the book, I fell in the love with the “Check for Understanding” idea. If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you know that I make anything and everything into a pretend character. So, I felt Mr. Check In (NOT Mr. Chicken) was a must-have in my classroom this year. You could even make him into a fun “reading craft,” if you’d like.   image I LOVE I PICK! What a great way to encourage independence in the classroom. I made this fun sign and these cute little bookmarks. I plan on printing the bookmarks and placing them in each child’s book bin. image

image image You’ll find this cute poster and a “good fit” shoe activity in the download, as well. image

Plus, this cool 3 Ways to Read a Book poster. I plan on displaying this near my library so that my kids can refer to it

all year long.

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I also made this recording sheet to help keep me sane! I laminated it so that I don’t have to reprint each week!

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These fun reading posters (Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Word Work, and Work on Writing) will also hang in my classroom on my Daily 5 wall (I haven’t quite figured all of the details out yet!). And, I’ll definitely be using the mini-rotation cards to keep us all on track.

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image All of these resources can be downloaded at my TPT shop! Be sure to tell me about your Daily 5 experience in the comments below. I’d love to read all about them! Click HERE to download for FREE!

59 Comments

  1. Cherie
    July 23, 2013

    OH.MY.GOSH! You rock, girl! I LOVE THESE! And thank you for making them a freebie!!!

    cheriemae@gmail.com

  2. Nesli Monroe
    July 23, 2013

    These are amazing! I absolutely love the daily five! Are you planning on having your students choose their own station each day? I could never do this…my control freak in me always had to choose their station for them! Maybe this year, I'll let them choose! Let me know your thoughts!
    Nesli

  3. Renee S
    July 23, 2013

    Cute! This September will be my 5th year using Daily 5 and my 4th year using Daily 5 math and I love them both!

    Renee
    The Reading Corner

  4. Jenna Frederick
    July 23, 2013

    This pack is AMAZING! This will be my third year using Daily 5/CAFE and it is a great! If you haven't seen this YouTube video yet, you need to check it out! My second graders did it last year and were in love with IPICK! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfecFjBHfc8

    Jenna
    I've Got It Made in Second Grade

  5. Heather
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you so much for sharing. My teaching partner across the hall and I are going to use Daily 5 this year.

  6. KoryGraham
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you so much for sharing! Awesome stuff!

  7. KoryGraham
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you so much for sharing! Awesome stuff!

  8. Lisa Hill
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you so much for sharing! I will be implementing it this year and this will be a HUGE help! Thank you for your generosity and willingness to help the rest of us!

  9. Aimee Fuller
    July 23, 2013

    Awesome! Thanks for doing all the work for us.

  10. Cathy :)
    July 23, 2013

    I love your site and also love this goodie you shared with us! Thank you!! I've used Daily 5 for 2 years. This will be my 3rd year. I don't have time to do all 5, we usually get to 3 a day, but I still love it and think it's a fun way for students to practice the skills they need practice with while I work with small groups. When I read the book the first time I felt like they were talking about how I used to do centers. Love this way so much more and even got to go to their workshop last year. So fun!!
    Cathy 🙂
    C is for Cookies, Cakes, Children, Classroom, and Crafts

  11. no princess
    July 23, 2013

    What a wonderful Freebie! Thank you so much for sharing your talent and your time! You made getting ready for school sooooooooooooo much easier and faster! Love, love love these!

  12. Jen P
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you for the freebie! I'm excited to try it this year.

  13. Lisa
    July 23, 2013

    This could be really long… I feel like I should leave my phone number. LOL. Biggest piece of advice: take a deep breath and start slowly. Really make sure you model (and have them model) what to do and what not to do when building stamina. All the frontloading will be worth it in the end. Know what you're going to use for the 5 components, which I'm sure you do. For example, what will they use for listen to reading?Introducing each part gets easier and easier so it's the first one, Read to Self, that takes the most time. Do you have any specific questions?

  14. Lisa
    July 23, 2013

    And I forgot to mention… those freebies are AWESOME! Thank you!

  15. Laurie
    July 23, 2013

    Take your time introducing Daily 5. My kiddos love it. It did take A LOT of work and time to put them together but it depends on how many activities you want. I've seen some teachers use journals for Word Work and Work on Writing but I have activities. I let my kiddos pick what they want to do but once they've done that center they can't do it again. I try to get them to all of them by the end of the week.

    Laurie
    First Grade Lyons' Den

  16. Andrea Monroe
    July 23, 2013

    I just realized that I have been doing the Daily 5 for almost 10 years! And I just LOVE it. My biggest piece of advice is to follow the book when it comes to implementation and when your kids are working 20 minutes independently at Work on Writing and Read to Self then you are good to go with the rest of the Dailies. Share time in between each session is so important. It doesn't have to be long but it keeps the kids accountable for their learning and is great for language acquisition. It's always difficult at the beginning ( especially if you have some kids who just can't seem to sit still for two minutes!) but stay strong and by November you'll love it.
    Thanks for the freebies. They are so cute!!
    ~Andi

  17. Growing Firsties
    July 23, 2013

    Your work takes my breath away. Again and again!

    We have incorporated D5 lessons into our Reading Workshop for the last several years, but not the full model. I do LOVVVVE that book!

    This coming year our entire district will officially be a full Teachers College Reading & Writing Project workshop district with oodles of staff development that I'm excited about.

    I'm STILL downloading these – they are applicable and amazing!!!!

    Thank you for sharing your brilliance, Lyndsey!!! You are so incredibly talented!!!

    Growing Firsties

  18. Mikaela
    July 23, 2013

    First of all, thank you SO much for these freebies!! Your stuff is always great. That's awesome that your entire school is moving to this framework. It will be so nice to be able to collaborate and talk to each other about what's going on in your classrooms as you navigate through the first year. I read the books last summer and then was able to go to Vegas in the fall to see The Sisters (if you ever get the chance to do that, I'd highly recommend it!). I made the switch to this framework right after we returned from winter break. I love it and was just amazed at how it transformed my teaching and my students' learning. My students who were rather indifferent to reading and/or who really struggled, made a complete turn- around by the end of the year. I felt confident knowing they left my classroom with knowledge about the type of reader they were and the books that they enjoyed. I didn't have anything that I didn't like. As far as tips, like The Sisters, emphasized in the book, really spending time on developing stamina when implementing read to self is sooooo important. Take your time when getting that up and going. The Sisters also mentioned, in person, that they've switched implementing read to someone until the very last thing to introduce (different from when they published the book). This worked well for me/my class.
    I mentioned it on Tracey's blog too, but when I was just starting I often wished there had been a class to observe and really struggled to connect with anyone in the Baltimore area (I don't know if you remember, but I teach at Friends). I'll be getting started with this from the get go this year, so if you'd ever like to come see what it looks like in another room, please know you're welcome to come observe.
    Last year it was just another colleague and me who switched to D5/CAFE. This summer we're working with several others who are also hoping to try it (or at least learn more about it).
    I know I wrote a novel! I'm happy to share any of my knowledge of what's worked etc. so feel free to get in touch if you have questions.
    Mikaela
    mmuntean@friendsbalt.org

    • Malisia
      December 26, 2013

      I am thinking about using this program also after winter break. I would like to ask how you implemented it in your classroom after the winter break. The idea of extensive modeling sounds great for the beginning of the year, but not so much for the middle of the year.

  19. Erika Ressler
    July 23, 2013

    Such a wonderful resource! Thank you. I have been using D5/CAFE for 5 years and love it. So do the kids. Take the time they need to be independent. It will save you loads of time in the end and they will amaze you with the growth they make while doing it. Good luck!

  20. Mrs. Jones
    July 23, 2013

    THANK YOU for all of these resources! I love using the Daily 5 every year in my classroom, but am always looking for new ways to teach my students. It's an every-changing system for me as I work to meet the needs of a new group of kids each year. THANK YOU again and good luck!

  21. madelyn Velasquez
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you so much for these freebies. They look amazing. I haven't read the book yet but I've seen it around so much I decided to get myself a copy.

  22. jbales
    July 23, 2013

    These are like a little gift from heaven. I plan on jumping into Daily 5 this year and these will save me SOOOO much time. Thanks for you generosity and helpful tips! Julie

  23. Kelly
    July 23, 2013

    Thanks so much for this awesome resource! I am starting the Daily 5 this year and am excited and nervous about it. Good luck!

  24. Natalie Gragnani
    July 23, 2013

    I found this yesterday from Facebook! I immediately downloaded, printed, and laminated. Some pieces are already in my classroom. I agree that re-reading Daily5 before the school year really gives you a sense of what can be prepared prior to the school year! I am moving from 2nd to Kindergarten and know that Daily5 will look slightly different, but your Free Pack is just what I needed to start to give my centers a little face-lift. THANKS!

    I am a little new to blogging and would love for you to check me out!

    Natalie
    Sunny In Kindergarten.

  25. K Fetissoff
    July 23, 2013

    Thank you sooo much for these. I started Daily 5 last year but I didn't get all of my anchor chart and stuff done. These rock!!

  26. Julie
    July 23, 2013

    Thanks so much for the freebies! I am moving from 3rd to kindergarten this year and will be taking Daily 5 with me! I can't think of another way to teach reading 🙂
    Julie
    Light A Fire in Third

  27. Carrie Dawley
    July 23, 2013

    Thanks for this great resource! You are amazing (and quite generous)!

    I think I'm jealous that your entire school is moving to this structure. I'm sort of going it on my own this year. I'm glad there are so many in cyberspace that are using it, though. It makes it easy to do because there are plenty of people to collaborate with. 🙂

    I shared your resource on my blog. I hope you don't mind. 🙂

    Carrie
    First Grade with Ms. Dawley

  28. A. Monroe
    July 24, 2013

    Great posters and printables. I have been using The Daily Five for the past few years and really like most aspects of it.
    I never do this but…come visit me. I have written a few posts about it. If you are like me, the summer before I started I wanted to know what it looked like in other classrooms.
    Thanks again for your freebies and good luck.

    School Is a Happy Place

  29. Following the Fun
    July 24, 2013

    The books are great (you need to read Cafe) but the best thing to do is actually see the Sisters in action. I went to the Las Vegas inservice last November (and that was from Canada)! So worth it. Then you need to sign up for their pensive that you can use online. I bought a iPAD to use when I am meeting with my darlings through out the room. SO WORTH IT! Thank you for sharing. Your items are adorable!
    sherrymatheson@gmail.com

    sherry-matheson.blogspot.com

  30. Kinderpond
    July 24, 2013

    I would forgo the rotation cards- when I sent my firsties out- they would tell me what rotation they were going to and go. They never remember what they chose lol When we come back again for a mini lesson, they would tell me their choice and be off- less than one minute :}

    Jennifer

  31. Kinderpond
    July 24, 2013

    Oh and print "Daily 5 for dummies"- put it in a binder and use it daily :} It's is a PDF of someone'[s plan according to the sisters.

    Jennifer

  32. Thanks so much! You will LOVE Daily 5! It made a HUGE difference…teaching reading became truly intentional. Not just "Let's see what we should work on today.", rather "I see Cristy didn't understand cross-checking so I'm putting her with Page this week for strategy groups." Time is really focused and makes a monumental difference in reading. My best day ever was when several of my kiddos were reading a book to each of their parents during student led conferences. When they stumbled on a word, their parents tried to tell them the word! Gasp!!! 😉 The kiddos actually told their parents to stop…that they could figure it out on their own! Wa-hoo! Independent readers and darn proud of it!

    Like others have said, when you first start building stamina you'll want to pull your hair out. They won't make it past 2 or 3 minutes for days, days I tell you! But them…amazingly…in just a few short weeks people walk into our room to ask us something and I swear their jaws drop open when they see 23 littles reading to themselves, quietly, happily, really loving reading! Enjoy!!!

  33. Carrie Dawley
    July 24, 2013

    I've got a question for all of your D5ers out there…

    At the start of the year, when you're teaching the expectations and building stamina, are you not teaching reading? I mean to say are the kids completing work based solely on learning the expectations, or do you do this in conjunction with your curriculum or basal series?

    Any insight into your classroom on this topic would be great! You can send me an email or comment on any of my blog posts (I've recently finished reading The Daily 5 and will be starting The CAFE Book hopefully tonight or tomorrow).

    Thanks a ton!
    Carrie
    First Grade with Ms. Dawley
    carrie.dawley@gmail.com

  34. Sarah Lane
    July 24, 2013

    I have been using the Daily 5 for two years and I absolutely love it! You will, too! Thank you so much for this awesome Daily 5 freebie pack. I will be sure to use the posters and the bookmarks in my classroom this year!!

    If you need any Daily 5 ideas, I just posted how I use QR codes to make free listening centers to use for LIsten to Reading. =)

    Thank you again!

    Sarah

    Laughing with Lane

  35. Julie
    July 24, 2013

    thank you for sharing these… love them! i have been doing daily 5 for 3 years, but i guess i do a modified version. my students have to do one practice activity that goes with the lesson we had in the morning (phonics, grammar, comprehension, etc.) there just isn't time to fit that independent practice in prior to our daily 5/reading group time, so it becomes a part of that. once they are finished with that, they move forward with choosing activities. we also have a guided reading program that differentiates with all of the first grade, so we are on a strict timeline and operate with two 20 minute groups. all kids are serviced during those two blocks in a small group. we then have one more 20 minute block where we run an additional small group based on student need or work with our students and do some daily 5 check ins. i have found my students really love this time of day. i also ask for parent help during this time, since i am working with a small group, i like having another adult in the room to answer questions and assist students as needed. 🙂 thanks again!

  36. Meg Jones
    July 24, 2013

    You will love the D5! It makes for a wonderful structure, just make it your own….I do a combination of D5 and workstations.
    Thanks for the beautiful resources. I am contemplating buying your math unit….after seeing your free products I figured it would have to be spectacular.
    Thanks for your work.
    meg

  37. Sue
    July 25, 2013

    Thank you for the wonderful freebies. I have been doing my own version of Daily Five in kindergarten for years. Now I am moving up to first grade and I can not wait to pick up where I left off last year. I love your blog. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

    Sue
    The Very Busy Classroom

  38. Amanda
    July 25, 2013

    Thank you so much!! I can't wait to print these tomorrow! You just made my life a whole lot easier! 🙂

  39. Erika
    July 25, 2013

    Your characters are the cutest! Thanks for the amazing freebie!

  40. That is an amazing pack! I can't wait to put it up in my room!
    Here are some tips, which many people have already mentioned:
    1. Model, model, model. Don't worry about having a "lesson plan" for that period, because your plan is teaching Daily 5.
    2. Practice one activity at a time until your students get used to all being in the same room doing different things. The sisters advocate pulling groups right away- that didn't work for me. I read to self right along with them.
    3. It will change over the course of the year, but find a good time to change your groups/rotations, like after Christmas break or Spring break. That new start often brings new maturities and kids will have a fresh perspective.

    -Maria
    Everyone deServes to Learn

  41. Stephanie
    July 27, 2013

    AMAZING pack! That is all!!

    ❤ -Stephanie
    Falling Into First

  42. Ashley
    July 27, 2013

    I am starting Daily 5, too. I am very excited but super nervous. Thank you so much for the freebie and good luck.

  43. Tanya Dwyer
    July 27, 2013

    Thank you so much for this FANTASTIC freebie! I implemented D5 last year for the first time and it completely changed my life! I love it and can't wait to use it again this year! If this freebie is any indication, you're gonna love it! Thanks again!

    Tanya
    A+ Firsties

  44. Nancy VandenBerge
    July 28, 2013

    I loooove your posters!!! I've been doing D5 for 8 years and can't see myself doing anything else. Just know that there will be days when you can't fir everything in. I cut "listen to reading" or sometimes "read to someone" if I have to cut something. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to holler at me. Best wishes!!!
    Nancy
    firstgradewow.blogspot.com

  45. Asma Jawed
    July 28, 2013

    Thank you, thank you!!! Sooooo Verrry MUCH!!!
    I will be implementing Daily 5 in my classroom too and was planning on creating these posters. Thanks to you, not anymore!!!

    Thanks again!

    http://wonderingandinquiringinkindergarten.blogspot.ca/

  46. kmiracle
    July 30, 2013

    This is AWESOME! Thank you so much!

  47. keri
    July 30, 2013

    WOW! This is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing!!!! I haven't tried Daily 5 and have been searching for something I can easily implement and I saw this, so I can't wait to try! THanks so much!
    Keri 🙂

  48. edukeator
    July 30, 2013

    This is a great resource! Thank you for sharing!

  49. Nesli Monroe
    August 4, 2013

    This may be super random! But I'm obsessed with all the font you used in this pack. What font did you use? 🙂
    Nesli
    Second Grade With The Teacher Wears Prada

  50. ~ Kristine
    August 9, 2013

    Ohmyword! I stinkin' LOVE these Daily Five tools! I tend to be a "make it myself" gal but… These are perfect!! Thank you for sharing!!

    ~Kristine from
    http://www.oursmartcommunity.blogspot.com

  51. Alexandra Power
    August 19, 2013

    These are awesome, going to introduce the daily 5 in a school in Ireland this year, do the children just do one area a day? for how long? These are amazing, thank you!

  52. mwilliamson
    July 19, 2014

    I am very interested in using Daily Five in my classroom this year. I have not used it in the past. I can't wait to try it out and what better way then with these great FREE resources.

  53. Dale Sean
    January 7, 2015

    Thanks for your sharing of these free classroom resources.
    Before the first day of class last August I put a rectangular basket, almost the size of a loaf of bread, up on the metal cabinet in the back of The Cozy Room of Learning to put pencils in. Pencils I knew I'd be collecting from off of the floor after class was dismissed when I'd mope around the room rearranging desks, collecting jackets, expensive laptop computers, binders, and textbooks. Mostly science textbooks are left behind. I have no idea why.
    .net QR Code reader

  54. Dale Sean
    January 7, 2015

    Thanks for your sharing of these free classroom resources.
    Before the first day of class last August I put a rectangular basket, almost the size of a loaf of bread, up on the metal cabinet in the back of The Cozy Room of Learning to put pencils in. Pencils I knew I'd be collecting from off of the floor after class was dismissed when I'd mope around the room rearranging desks, collecting jackets, expensive laptop computers, binders, and textbooks. Mostly science textbooks are left behind. I have no idea why.
    .net QR Code reader

  55. Erica Sargent
    June 6, 2019

    Hello,
    I cannot find your Daily 5 freebies anywhere! I previously printed and have been using the 3 ways to read a book poster and it got ruined this year and have to print another one.

  56. Sarah
    November 18, 2020

    I can’t find the link to download. When I click the one above, it takes me to TPT but it’s not on there. Help!

    • lkuster
      November 18, 2020

      Hi Sarah! I switched up the links to the correct page now. It’s going to take you to the VIP Resource Library where all of my free resources are included. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Comments are closed.