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February 20, 2009
Our friend Pam teaches in a high poverty school in our region. When thinking about the implementation of Daily 5, she said, "I wouldn't change the teaching of Daily 5, what I would do differently is change how I approach each child every fall or when they enroll in our school." She went on to say that her school was making an effort to meet basic needs, such as food and clothing for its children, but by jumping into Daily 5 immediately, she failed to meet some deeper needs students came with; students who didn't feel safe or trusting. "I tried to jump in the very first day teaching the independence of Daily 5, yet many of these children had gone three months being the primary caretaker for younger siblings and many of them not knowing where their next meal would come from. I needed to spend more time getting to know each child, listening to their stories, and building trust."
Trust and safety are a prerequisite to The Daily 5, so allow for time to build and create a safe, supportive classroom culture. Once those conditions are met, the teaching of The Daily 5 can begin. Often the predictable routine of Daily 5 allows children to feel safe and to be successful, even if the homes they come from do not provide the same.