Read To Someone Woes? You Need The Daily 5 Patrol.

This year, the second routine I introduced to my class when we were learning our routines for Daily 5 was Read to Someone. In hindsight, I should have introduced this as the last of the five routines so my students had several weeks of reading in an I-can-hear-a-caterpillar-sneeze environment.
When my second graders were completing their training, I could hear the low hum of partners reading aloud side-by-side and loved eavesdropping from across the room as they asked and answered questions about their reading. That hum has now transformed into a buzz and I find myself eavesdropping on conversations about their newest Lego set or plans for upcoming slumber parties. It…makes…me…crazy!
No matter how many Read To Someone modeling sessions we have, my group of social butterflies just can’t resist the urge to buddy up and chat during this Daily 5 choice. I’ve had quite the time making a decision about the best solution…

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Limit Read To Someone as an activity only done with the reading aide. 
True, all off-topic conversations would be eliminated and stronger read and respond follow up questions would be consistently integrated into this reading routine. BUT! My students would no longer be reading to their peers during Daily 5, weakening the connections that Read to Someone adds to our classroom reading community. Not. Happening.

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Limit the number of students participating in Read-To-Someone to two partnerships per round. If you want to Read To Someone, you grab a little lanyard with an EEEK picture and read and respond questions.
Yes, this would make it easier on my ears to pinpoint any off topic conversations taking place. Plus, my students would be thrilled to wear a special lanyard. But let’s get real… this solution limits the number of students reading to one another and reduces the freedom of choice that comes with the territory of our Daily 5 routine. No Good.
Then! I was struck by a lightning bolt of creative genius!
I’m having the Daily 5 Patrol roll into town next week.
When my class lines up after recess, they will find this alarming note posted to our classroom door. #SenseOfUrgency