So, I am really excited to see that the authors followed up their "theory" book, The Daily 5, with an application that tells teachers "how" to make this work.
C=Comprehension
A=Accuracy
F=Fluency
E=Expand Vocabulary
Can you visualize what each part of CAFE looks like in your PK-5, Special Ed, Core, or Title classroom?
Have you been able to integrate your reading assessment data into your instruction? I think this is where we lose momentum at times. We learn something new, we know we need to use it, we know the data shows areas of concern, but we struggle to find ways to match the strengths/goals of each child with the assessment data and our daily lesson objectives.
Here are my thoughts on their 4 "core" elements they note on p.6-7:
1.Would it help if we all had the "same" notebook set up for TJ to use in each classroom? It would include the forms, calendar, and templates. Maybe that is an idea to start for August?
2. I LOVE the idea of students setting reading goals for daily or weekly work. Are any of you doing that? Thoughts? Goals lead to accountability. What gets monitored gets done.
3. All of you use guided reading groups. Are any of you creating these groups based on CAFE needs, not guided reading levels (all the 14s in one group, all the 20s in another group)?
4. Is your whole group instruction based on what you pick up in conferences and guided reading groups as skills that all or most of the kids need? Or is your whole group instruction driven by the district "plan"?
The thought from Chapter 1 that has me doing a lot of thinking.....
"The more effective classrooms have a distribution of whole-class, small-group, and side-by-side instruction. The more whole-class teaching offered, the lower the academic achievement in any school."
Wow, powerful.......
OK, so one more thought that made me go hmmmmm.....
"no negative impact for assigning the best readers more student-directed work" and "we no longer have to fret about meeting with each and every child one-on-one each day"
What does this mean for above grade level student readers?
www.thedailycafe.com
This blog is for Thomas Jefferson Elementary teachers only. The purpose of this blog is to share reflections, post questions, share ideas, and improve teaching and learning for all involved. This blog will give us a way to share our learnings from our two professional reading books and improve our technology skills at the same time!
To be quite honest my head was spinning after reading the CAFE book. There are so many great ideas, but I was completely overwhelmed with how all of this would realistically work in my classroom. I feel like I am playing catch-up also (which I hate to do) since the district did not tell first grade last year that we would be using the "daily five" or the "cafe" book. It was mentioned in other grade levels, but never at a first grade meeting. I am not against change at all. I love the "daily five" in my classroom, but I still have kept other elements in my teaching (from previous years.) I think the CAFE elements are not as easy to implement as the Daily Five elements were. I think as a building and as a district that we need some direct training on how to make this manageable and consistent across grade levels. I am more than willing to make changes in my teaching and become a better teacher, but I feel we need the time and some direction.
ReplyDeleteI have found that while the "Daily Five" gives a good explanation..the CAFE has really helped me "apply" the Daily Five strategies. At the beginning of the school year I took time to look at the parts of the CAFE (comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expresion). I taught some of the strategies to my students, and had them apply what they learned to their reading.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 gives an introduction and talks about the research base for the CAFE. I found it so interesting that many of the ideas are not knew and have been around for a long time. The idea of "Good Fit Books" starts with research done in 1946!
I'm not sure about the idea of creating a "common notebook" quite yet. I think it's important for each teacher to find a method and routinue that works well in their own classroom.
I really like the idea of creating "skill" groups over "leveled" groups. Having a child pick their own "good fit book" and learn how to implement strategies based on individualized needs. This would be a change in practice and theory for the district. I think it has powerful potential though.
I thought the part about instructional fairness in this chapter was interesting and as the special ed. teacher, it does make sense to me. It seems like spending more time with lower level readers is fair because these students are below grade level and need instruction in a smaller group or even one-on-one, to help them make progress. I can see how this can be true in the general ed. classroom because the highest students are reading above grade-level, are more self-motivated, and can make progress with more student-directed work which would allow teachers more time to help lower level readers. I also liked what this chapter said on page 10, about how it is important for school districts to coordinate remedial and classroom instruction.
ReplyDeleteI found chapter one to be a nice introduction for the CAFE. I like the idea that we don't have the pressure of meeeting with every child every day. However, I think that we do need to educate parents on the idea behind this change and we need to let students know that we might not meet with them every day. I had a group of students come to me earlier in the year and request that I meet with them because they did not think it was fair that I was not seeing them every day like some of the other groups. I have not started the notetaking in the way the authors suggests. This is my goal for second semester. I am moving into this slowly not only for myself but for my students. This is the first year without CORE and the students and I had some adjusting to do with a larger class size. I know this will always be an adjustment for the students coming into third from 1st and 2nd CORE, but this is my first year without the extra teacher. So this year I am using the parts of CAFE that work for my students and me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Renee when she says we need time and direction. The district is great for bringing in new programs but they forget to provide us with time. We need time to prepare for our classrooom and time for training. We would not be feeling so overwhelmed if the district would have better prepared us for this change. Handing us materials in August was not the best idea. I would like to have some time to hear about what is working for other teachers here at TJ and across the district.
I do my best thinking at the beach too!
ReplyDeleteThe two concepts that I took away from this reading were: readers need instruction and support and the more effective classtooms have a distribution of whole-class, small group and side by side instruction. With all of the whole-group and small group instruction in kindergarten I find it difficult to find time for the side by side that is really instruction and not time meeting social and emotional needs and assessment. The assessment management system that I use in kindergarten I call "I Can Do Books". Each student has an "I Can Do Book" that contains all of his/her assessments for each quarter. This book is a visual of all of the assessments for the quarter and is sent home with the report card. I record the data from each student's "I Can Do Book" on a spreadsheet for my class records.
I like the part of the chapter that talked about an assessment book or assessment area. In preschool, we are not allowed to pull students aside and assess them everything must be done in their natural environment. Since I have started the assessment book it has help me stay organize with the anecdotal notes that I need to use for my assessment.
ReplyDelete