Making Adaptations to the Daily 5 Literacy Program to Meet the Needs of Beginning English Language Learners

Abstract

The Daily 5 is an instructional framework designed to organize the literacy block in early elementary classrooms. The model is grounded entirely in research-based practices for early literacy instruction, and has been widely implemented in classrooms throughout the country. However, there has been little research investigating how the Daily 5 aligns with best practices for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). This issue becomes increasingly more pertinent as the ELL population continues to grow in our schools. The goal of this paper is to synthesize the research in early literacy instruction, the Daily 5 framework, and best practices in ELL instruction to provide specific recommendations for modifying the Daily 5 to better meet the needs of ELL students. The research focuses on early elementary instruction (K-3) and ELLs at the beginning stage of English language acquisition. Furthermore, the recommendations for modifications to the Daily 5 are specific to the framework’s five independent work rotations and assessment procedures. Investigations across all three areas of research indicate that teachers can successfully make effective and meaningful adaptations to the Daily 5’s independent work rotations and assessment procedures for their ELL students. The recommendations focus primarily on adapting the tasks and materials presented in the model. The modifications either reduce the language demands of a task, or provide additional language and/or contextual support. This research paper provides teachers with initial steps for making the Daily 5 more appropriate and meaningful for their ELL students.