The Daily Cafe

Managing Student Choices in 4th Grade

#1

I am loving my start of the Daily 5, my kids are doing better than I expected and they love it as well! I am just trying to manage it all. I have Tier 3 pullout in am, kids with me will start a round during this block and I can get some conferrring done. In the afternoon I have two reading teachers doing reading groups and I will be also, our kids will get lots of support! My LA block is from 1:05 to 3:25!

It is hard to plan when kids will work with a teacher and when they should have free choice? My other question is how do you manage their choices, my class is starting to have a choice this week. Check in after lesson or let them pick in the morning with a chart of some type?? I love it just trying to plan what it will look like as it is all rolling out.

#2

I’ve heard some teachers say that using a chart like you suggest saves them time during rounds. The charts I’ve seen have the four choices across the top and kids down the side–kids get to make two choices. When they go to a choice, they remove that one from the chart, so the next round, they know where to go. So, they do get a bit on choice built in but not “right at the moment”.

The only thing that bothers me a bit is they might not “name their strategy” before they go out, which might mean they don’t have that in mind.

They are many other ways, I’m sure–I’d like to hear some, too.