Strategies to Master Daily 5 Expectations with Whole Brain Teaching

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used! Learn more on my Private Policy page.

Mastering not only how to clearly explain expectations, but ALSO having students follow them is key to a well-managed classroom.

Especially during independent work time (which is the cusp of what makes the Daily 5 framework work!).

Independent work time is tricky. Students have to be self-aware enough to notice when they are not following expectations and self-disciplined enough to adjust their actions. 

And that’s hard for kids! (It’s hard for some adults, too!)

Still, it can be frustrating when, no matter how many times you repeat expectations, you still end up feeling like you’re micromanaging students during independent work time - which means you aren’t able to get to your small groups!

When I interwove Whole Brain Teaching strategies into introducing the Daily 5 framework to my students, I noticed a substantial shift in my students’ ability to follow through on expectations I set without feeling like a nag!

What are Whole Brain Teaching Strategies

As a master educator, you know that just stating your expectations doesn’t work.

It takes modeling and practice that engage students, which is where the power of Whole Brain Teaching strategies comes in. 

Whole Brain Teaching is a teaching strategy designed to activate different parts of the brain to make learning more interactive and memorable. These strategies include: 

  • Call-and-response

  • Gestures

  • Choral Responses

  • Reward systems

  • Whole-body movements

 In the context of the Daily 5, Whole Brain Teaching provides structures and strategies to teach expectations through combining gestures, call-and-response activities, and collaborative practices. 

Establishing and upholding expectations is so important to the overall success of implementing the Daily 5 framework into your literacy block - no matter what age your students are.  Without a clear understanding of expectations and boundaries, your Daily 5 time can become chaotic and frustrating - for not only you but your student as well.

How to Use Whole Brain Teaching Strategies to Master Daily 5 Expectations

One of the biggest complaints I get about implementing the Daily 5 is how it feels chaotic. 

Students are off task…

Students are moving around the room, distracting other students…

I get it - dealing with that every day is exhausting, and it’s one of the main reasons why teachers give up when starting to implement the Daily 5 in their classroom.

Which is why setting and upholding clear expectations and routines is paramount, and we can do that through utilizing Whole Brain Teaching strategies. 

Using Whole Brain Teaching to Introduce Expectations for Daily 5 Rotations

Every day, and I mean every day, before starting Daily 5 rotations I review my expectations with my students. 

Whether it was with my kindergarten, first-grade, or fifth-grade students - I always review expectations. I’ve found that this establishes and maintains a productive tone for the day. (With so much independent work time, I’m leaving nothing to chance!)

In addition to having expectations for each center posted around the room, every day, my student helper leads the class in reciting our expectations:

  1. Work the whole time.

  2. Stay in one spot. 

  3. Level zero.

  4. Get started right away.

To help reinforce these expectations, I use gestures that correlate with each of the expectations. (For example, when my students say “work the whole time”, they point at their wrist like they are pointing to a watch.)

BUT, before doing any of this I’ve explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced each of the expectations for each Daily 5 center multiple times - to mastery - to ensure my students would be successful.  

Teaching Hand Gestures to Signal Needs 

My favorite thing about the Daily 5 framework - hands down - is that I can work with small groups. 

I LOVE small group instruction - that’s where the magic of teaching really happens.

BUT, it can’t when you are constantly being interrupted by students asking you to go to the bathroom or get something out of their locker.  

Yes…there is something to be said for having “allowable” times that students can ask to use the restroom (I’m sure we’ve all had that one student in particular that was a master at avoiding tasks), but sometimes a student just has to go.

That’s why I’ve incorporated using silent hand signals that my students could use to signal to me that they needed to use the bathroom or get a drink without interrupting the small group lesson. 

Incorporate Whole Brain Teaching Strategies During Daily 5 Transitions

Transitions are the biggest time suck.

If not executed correctly and in a timely manner, they can soak up hours (yes, literally hours) of instructional time each school year. 

To ensure that we are not wasting precious instructional time, at the beginning of the school year, I take time to explicitly teach, model, and rehearse how students should transition between centers.  (I know it’ll take time but TRUST me, your future self with be grateful you did!)

I’ve also found that by posting the day's rotations on the smart board, students can quickly transition between activities because they are no longer waiting for me to tell them where to go.  I can just signal them that it’s time to rotate with a call-and-response such as “Class - Yes!” to get all of their attention so they know it’s time to pack up their materials for that center and move to the next one. 

Use Whole Brain Teaching Strategies to Create an Efficient Literacy Block

Whole Brain Teaching has been instrumental in supporting my students in mastering expectations during our Daily 5 time so they can become independent learners. 

Whole Brain Teaching strategies provide a way to introduce and teach expectations in a way that captivates your students’ attention, while still maintaining a productive classroom environment.  

Whether it’s using hand gestures to reinforce behaviors or call-and-responses to make transitions seamless, Whole Brain Teaching strategies ensure your students will be set up for success (and that you’re no longer pulling your hair out!).

And, to further make sure your Daily 5 time is working efficiently, you can download all of the resources I use in my classroom to ensure that it’s running smoothly, daily!

See Whole Brain Teaching in Action

Curious about how this could look in your classroom? 

Check out this short video of my students reciting our Daily 5 expectations before getting started for the day.

CLICK HERE to Watch the Video