THIS WAS A TIP OF THE WEEK -25 JULY from THE TWO SISTERS WEBSITE by LORI SABO
HOW TRUE!!!
"I was recently put in the position of having to defend my use of the Daily 5 structure and the CAFE system to someone who didn’t understand what they are all about. If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it probably will. You’ll have an administrator, teaching partner, or parent who wonders why you give students complete choice over what they read, why you aren’t meeting with leveled groups, or why you object to using a basal program with fidelity. We need to be ready with an answer that is respectful and knowledgeable. Here are some of the main ideas that help me share why I am passionate about this method of instruction.
Daily 5:
The intentional, focused, assessment-driven instruction of CAFE, when combined with extended reading and writing practice during Daily 5, is why teachers all over the world continue to replicate the astounding results first experienced by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, the sisters who developed them both."
HOW TRUE!!!
"I was recently put in the position of having to defend my use of the Daily 5 structure and the CAFE system to someone who didn’t understand what they are all about. If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it probably will. You’ll have an administrator, teaching partner, or parent who wonders why you give students complete choice over what they read, why you aren’t meeting with leveled groups, or why you object to using a basal program with fidelity. We need to be ready with an answer that is respectful and knowledgeable. Here are some of the main ideas that help me share why I am passionate about this method of instruction.
Daily 5:
- This simple but amazing structure helps students develop a love of literacy and daily habits of reading, writing, and working independently that will lead to a lifetime of literacy independence.
- Students build behaviors of independence and stamina by participating in as many as five authentic reading and writing choices: Read to Self, Work on Writing, Read to Someone, Word Work, and Listen to Reading. These choices are not “activities” or “centers,” but tasks designed to equip students with practical, useful, lifelong skills that will be relevant and applicable to their lives both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Because students are highly engaged in authentic literacy work and practice, I am not wasting time on classroom management, but am using every moment to meet the needs of students, either individually or in small groups.
- The method of providing short bursts of focused, highly intentional instruction aligns beautifully with current brain research on how children learn.
- Because the structure holds no content, I am free to use any and all resources to meet school, district, state, and even national standards.
- The extended, independent reading and writing practice results in measurable student progress, which is even more accelerated when layered with CAFE instruction.
- CAFE is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. A menu of strategies lies beneath each heading. Students build a repertoire of strategies used by highly effective readers to become proficient and reach individual goals.
- It is also a system for assessing students, determining goals, and transferring data into a conferring notebook.
- Lastly, CAFE is a guide for delivering differentiated instruction and monitoring progress, leading us to our desired outcomes.
The intentional, focused, assessment-driven instruction of CAFE, when combined with extended reading and writing practice during Daily 5, is why teachers all over the world continue to replicate the astounding results first experienced by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, the sisters who developed them both."