D5-Chapter 4 & Versatile Blogger Award: Warning~Loonnngg Post!

I'm linking up! Tessa from Tales Outside the Classroom is hosting D5 Chapter four. Come on over and join us! :)

Dang! Dang! Dang! I'm still kicking myself for not reading this last year!! Yes, I did some of it...but sketchily...not correctly due to not having the book and finding the info in January...

I love three ways to read a book! What awesome support for my little nervous nellies! ;) I love how the sisters lay it all out in the text, and then follow with the figures as a reminder of each step. I'm excited to begin practicing the first day of school! I'm excited to give the children three-minute practices of Read to Self, and have all those little mini~lessons! Yipppeeee!!! I love the Check~In idea, too. Breaking everything down into 3 or 5 or 7 or 10 minute segments is such a novel idea for me. WHY?!? I am asking myself this repeatedly. I love that this offers so many opportunities for practice as well as regroup/rehash/reteach opportunities. I think this is so awesome to me because I have always known this, but felt others (as in administration, etc.) would think we weren't accomplishing anything with all the movement. Hmp! Thanks, Sisters, for providing me with your research-based book (and lots of research quoted) so I have a basis for all I'm doing that's different. I feel FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!! :D

I've always marched to the tune of my own drummer, but tried to do the "dog and pony show" whenever someone came in to observe. No more of that garbage. Research backs up my quirks and I will revel in them now!

I love the additional information about adding 1-2 minutes throughout the first day month of school until desired stamina is built. I wondered about time frame of introducing each of the Daily 5, but found the appendix on page 119! I ♥love, ♥love, ♥love it! Hooray! The sisters really did lay it all out. I think the Daily 5 should be required reading for every elementary school teacher before s/he begins her final block of student teaching! WOW! Awesome and amazing!

Here's a thanks to Heather @ The Meek Moose for the Versatile Blogger Award. Now on to seven random things about myself...

1. I am old enough to be my students' grandmother (although I don't have grandchildren yet...)
2. I taught adults working toward the GED for three years when my son was preschool aged so I could be home with him 1/2 days.
3. I won a beauty contest in seventh grade after being convinced to enter by a couple of friends...who received first and second runners-up...how weird is that?
4. I accepted Jesus as my Savior on my ninth birthday after a "discussion" with the Lord about folks coming to celebrate my birthday having to "wait" while the church gave me the "right hand" of Christian fellowship.
5. I met my darling hubby when I was 15 and we've been married 28 years...after dating on and off for six years, so I've known him more than twice as long as I haven't.
6. I live next door to my parents. I'm a Mama's & Daddy's girl! (yes, even at age 49)
7. My family is more important to me than anyone/anything except Jesus and honoring Him!

Now for 15 blogs... well, gotta fix dinner, then run and pick more green beans! I'll update and add these later!

†~Melly~†