The CAFE Book - Chapter 4

Reflections on Chapter 4: Conferring with Children

Hi! I'm Laura Candler of the Teaching Resources website as well as the Corkboard Connections blog. I'm a former upper elementary teacher who loved teaching reading with the reading workshop approach! I'm thrilled to join the summer book study on The Daily Five and The CAFE Book, and I'm especially excited to be able to reflect on today's chapter on conferring with children. I'm also happy to share two freebies with you that you may find useful as you implement these strategies.

As I began this chapter, my first thought was, "Where was this book when I was learning to implement reading workshop in my classroom?" Conferring with children was the most difficult piece to implement because it's so individualized. When I was starting out, I had many questions about what to do. What exactly do we say when we meet with each student? How do we plan for our conferences? What do we record for future reference? How often do we meet with them? Thankfully, all of these questions are addressed in Chapter 4! It's a long chapter, packed with great strategies, so let's jump right in! I'll share my reflections on each part of this chapter, and then I'll pose a few discussion questions. I hope you'll share your thoughts with us at the end of this blog post.


Rethinking Conference Protocols
The first paragraph in this section really spells out the essential elements of the whole chapter:

"The reason we confer with students is to help them work toward individual goals. The goals come from the assessments at the start of the year or previous conferences, and they become the focus of each conference with children."

In this section, the sisters outlined the structure of each reading conference and provided icons to help us remember what to record on our conference forms. The CD that comes with the book includes a blank copy of the conference form that you can print out and use in your classroom. The icons are a wonderful addition to the form, but I knew that I would need a written reference at first. So I created this CAFE Conference Quick Reference Guide to help me remember what to record next to each icon. You can download it for free from my Reading Workshop page on Teaching Resources. I would suggest keeping it at the front of your Pensieve, otherwise known as your conference notebook.

Another aspect of this section that I liked was the information about how to help kids develop goals based on the CAFE menu: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanded Vocabulary. These four areas are critical to reading development, and it makes sense to introduce these terms to students and use them as the focus of reading conferences. These terms become part of the shared literacy vocabulary in the classroom.

Discussion Questions: What kinds of information have you been recording during reading conferences? How do you feel about the five areas suggested by the icons? Do you think that recording this much information would be too time-consuming or quite doable?

Moving from Conferring to Coaching: A Shift in Thinking
I loved the suggestion that we shift our thinking from "conferring" to "coaching." When we are working with individual students and helping them to meet their own goals, we are definitely moving into a coaching role. I found the step-by-step list on page 56, Coaching Toward a Target, to be very helpful in terms of providing guidelines for the amount of time to spend on each part of the conference. I also found the suggested wording to be very beneficial because sometimes it's hard to know what to say to move from one part of the conference to the next. However, I did feel that I would have difficulty adhering to those time limits and trying to accomplish this much in one short conference!

Discussion Question: What are your thoughts about the steps and time limits outlined in the "Coaching Toward a Target" overview page?

The Seven Elements of Successful Conferences
I was grateful for the elaboration provided in this section about what to do during each part of the conference. I'm going to list the seven elements below with a bit of reflection about each.

1. Check the Calendar for Appointments - I loved the idea of having a monthly calendar page in the front of the conference notebook for recording appointments over time. When I saw the sample calendar page, I thought of the School Year Calendars pages that I create each year. You can download the entire set for free from TeachersPayTeachers. I think you'll find the pages to be just the right size for storing in your conference notebook.
2. Prepare for the Conference - This step is critical for planning how we might best use our time to coach each child. Taking a moment to review our notes from previous conferences will help keep us focused when we meet with each student.
3. Observe Child and Listen to Reading - Step 3 is where the actual conference begins. We tiptoe over to the student, observing how that student is functioning during independent reading time. Then we invite the child to read to us quietly, and we listen to see whether the strategies we have taught in previous conferences are being applied.
4. Reinforce and Teach - In this step, we explain what we have noticed and try to move the student forward a bit with the strategy. (Note: Have you discovered the Ready Reference Charts in the back of the book and on the CD? These charts are AMAZING! Flip to page 154 to take a look. There are over 30 charts that explain in a step-by-step manner how to teach each strategy for mastering the CAFE menu items. This part of the book alone is worth gold! Use these charts to help you figure out how to teach the specific reading strategy needed during each conference.)
5. Practice the Strategy - We listen as the child practices the strategy, and we coach as needed.
6. Plan - We share our plan for how the student should practice the strategy before our next conference. During this time, we also let students know when we will meet together to see how they are progressing.
7. Encourage - This is the most important step of all! We end the conference with encouraging words to show students that we notice the improvements they are making.

Discussion Questions: What do you think of these seven elements? Do you feel that they are "essential" as the title of this section suggests? Are you already doing these things? If not, which ones do you want to add to your repertoire of conference strategies? 

Thanks for joining me to discuss and reflect on Chapter 4 in The CAFE Book, Conferring with Children. You are going to love Chapter 5, Eavesdropping on Some Conferences! In this chapter you'll see how the elements in Chapter 4 work together in conferences with real children. It's like being able to peek into the sisters' classrooms to see exactly how they teach comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanding vocabulary. 

CAFE - Ch. 3 (What do you think?)

Hi friends!

Unfortunately today's post on Chapter 3 is delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances.  We will do this chapter a little differently until the post goes live.  I would like all of you to share your thoughts on Chapter 3 in the comments and we will do the discussion through the comments for now.

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

CAFE-Chapter 2

Hey Everyone! My name is Katie and I blog over at The Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher.

I am getting ready to begin my 2nd year of teaching on August 27th, and CAFE has really impacted how I teach Language Arts in my 6th grade classroom. I quickly discovered that my kids were on such different levels and had such different needs, and my current style of teaching was not going to meet those needs. CAFE was exactly what I needed because my students were able to focus on different stratgies that met their needs.

Chapter 2: The CAFE Notebook and Record-Keeping Forms

If you are like me, you constantly have sticky notes everywhere in your classroom because they are so easy to jot quick little notes down on. Like the Sisters, this is how I started to track things with my students. I quickly ended up with 50+ stickies on my table each day and it became overwhelming. I just thought that stickes would be easiest because I would not be tied down to one certain form. I quickly learned that I was causing way more work for myself than necessary and decided to give the Conferring Notebook a chance.

Discussion Question: How have you previously tracked students and kept track of data during your reading/writing workshop time? If you currently are doing something to the Sisters, what did you do before that?

The Sisters quickly discovered that the best solution was to use a large binder, and I agree with them completely. Once I relaized that the sticky notes were no longer cutting it, I switched to a Conferring Notebook similar to the one that is described in the chapter. By the end of the school year, my notebook had been used and abused. The Sisters suggest buying two noebooks to start the year and that is my plan for this upcoming school year.

Section 1 of the Pensieve: Teacher Notes

This is the section of the notebook that is dedicated to organizing and planning how we are going to spend our time during The Daily 5. The students need to check in on how they will be spedning their time during the stations, and as the teacher we must plan what we are going to be doing too.

1. Calendar- The Sisters mention making appointments with students to check on how they are developing their strategies. If you are like me, if you do not write it down in your planner, it doesn't happen. By showing the students in our notebook that we have an appointment with them, they will also be held more accountable because they know that on their day we will be checking with them. This also turns into a to-do list for us as the teacher because we know exactly who we need to meet with.

2. Keeping Track Form- This is my personal favorite that the Sister use because it is a quick way to notice who you've met with and how many times you have met with them. In my classroom I feel that sometimes I do not spend enough time with all of my students on an individual basis and this form really helped me to do that.

3. Strategy Groups Forms- This is a form that can be used to help you track your strategy groups that you meet with in a small group setting. I personally use the form that is provided on the CD in the back of the text.

Discussion Question: What are your must have notes that you like to keep on your groups and individual students? Have you ever done something similar to the calendar to keep track of appointments with your students?

Section 2 of the Pensieve: Dividers/Tabs for Each Child

It is important that in addition to monitoring students within their strategy groups that we are also tracking their journey as an individual and their growth as a reader. For each student, your notebook should have a tab that their information can be found under. Under each tab their should be a CAFE menu, a Reading Conference Form, and a Writing Conference Form. All of these documents are avaliable to you via the CD that is included with the text.

I know that some of you are in a self-contained classroom where keeping a conferring notebook is not too much of a task, but what do you do when you have 5 classes like I will have this coming school year? This past school year I had 3 sections of 6th grade Language Arts and I simply kept a notebook for each class. My first thought is that I will do the same this coming school year, but it just seems like it will take up so much space. Right now my thought is that I will keep two notebooks. In one notebook I will have the first section of the notebook for all 5 sections that I will be teaching. In the 2nd binder I will keep a tab for each individual student. It might end up driving me crazy, but I think this is how I would like to start the year.

Discussion Question: How do you plan on setting up your binders, or what do you plan on doing if you will not be using the notebook approach to monitor progress?

Do you have a particular type of binder or dividers that you use? Where do you tend to get them from?

I am looking forward to discovering how you all track progress in your classroom and how I can improve what I am doing in mine! Enjoy what is left of your summer vacation!

CAFE -- Ch. 1: The Introduction

Well, we are finally here....CAFE.  I have been waiting for this portion of the book study, not just because I am writing about it, but because for me, this is the part of the Sisters' program that really appealed to me.  The management that is found in the Daily 5 is wonderful, truly it is, but what I am always looking for is a way to make sure my students' needs are being met individually....and this is what the crux of CAFE is -- a system that allows for tracking growth of the students and meeting their reading and writing needs individually.  

So, as I was reading this introductory chapter, I found myself nodding in agreement with what was being written.  I also found myself looking through my own stash of teaching materials to find what I am currently using that would fit into this system.   (no sense in remaking the wheel if I am using something I can adapt!)   What follows are the four main ideas behind CAFE.  Those are bolded.  I am then going to add in my thoughts about each of them and how I am anticipating them to fit into my classroom.

1.  The teacher keeps a binder with a few key forms, calendars, strategy group plans, and student conference forms.

The first thing I thought of is the quiz tracker I am already using.  I, like many of you, are required to use my district selected basal.  But, with that basal, I was never really sure what my students were learning.  I mean, I gave them test, and saw the number right and wrong...but that didn't tell me anything.  So I created this form that broke it all down.  I immediately thought of this when the chapter was talking about tracking the students and seeing what their individual needs were.  I am already doing that to an extent....so this is perfect to add into my notebook!  Here is a copy for you.

I am also bound to the state standards (again, I know you ALL are), but tracking which standards were taught, which were mastered, and which still needed to be reviewed sometimes became daunting.  Again, I created this form to use so that I could track that.  This is based on my personal state and grade level standards, but it is editable so you can change them to suit your needs.  Again, perfect for my record keeping binder! 

2.  Children meet with the teacher during individual conferences where they are assessed, given explicit instruction, make goals, and discuss follow up on previous goals.

Here is where I need to really step up my game.  I am hoping that the structure provided in the Daily 5 book, will be able to work nicely into my basal requirements.  We already have an "Independent Work Time" built in, and I have been pulling small groups (based on the above forms), but I want it to be much more focused and effective.  I am also hoping that the mini-lessons, which are found in the appendix of the CAFE book, are going to help guide me on the explicit instruction portion.

3.  The teacher plans instruction with small groups based on the CAFE categories.  These groups are flexible and based on need.

I am most excited about this part.  I can't wait to get here and set up all the comprehension strategies, etc...that the sister suggest.  I know keeping in line with the standards is going to be my objective, but I am excited that this will help me to be more focused and explicit about it (I think I have used this word more times now than I have ever before...explicit, explicit, explicit!!)  I also like how the strategies are going to be front and center for the students, keeping them accountable to them as well.

4. Whole group instruction is based on the needs that emerge from the group as a whole.

Again, I have this part covered with the form I use above.  I am not short on whole group instruction techniques, as our basal is largely just that.  I am looking forward to being more succinct with my instruction though, and more needs based rather than basal based.  

I know that some of these things are going to be easy to implement, as it is what is already going on in my class.  But others of the 4 tenants will be a bit tricky.  I am honestly just getting comfortable with the idea of small group instruction (in fact, if you read my blog you know I am about two years into Math Workshop -- and loving it -- after 12 years of whole group instruction only)  I hope that being more focused and direct with my planning will make this transition a bit easier.  However, I am super excited to get it all going.

Of the four ideas above, what are you most excited about?  Most comfortable with?  Most cautiously optimistic about?  Most downright scared over?  ;)

Moving on to the CAFE Book!

We hope you've enjoyed the Daily 5 portion of our summer book study as much as we did! If you missed some of the posts, just check the archives in the side bar. Tomorrow we'll be moving on to The CAFE Book. We hope you'll join us as we explore how to implement these strategies in the upper elementary classroom.

Just as with the Daily 5 book study, a different blogger will write a blog post for each chapter, and those posts will appear right here on We Read, We Teach, We Blog. Please read along with us and post your comments and reflections about each chapter right here on the blog.

Here's the line up of bloggers and dates for The CAFE Book:

July 22 - Chapter 1 - Stephanie Moorman of Teaching in Room 6
July 25 - Chapter 2 - Katie Klohn - The Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher
July 28 - Chapter 3 - Mor Edri-Zrihen of A Teacher's Treasure
July 31 - Chapter 4 - Laura Candler of Corkboard Connections
August 3 - Chapter 5 - Dana Richliew of 3rd Grade Gridiron
August 6 - Chapter 6 - Jennifer Runde of Runde's Room
August 9 - Chapter 7 - Jana Wilson of Reading and Thinking Out Loud 

Please take a few minutes to check out these terrific blogs! To keep track of the book study dates, you can click on the calendar on the right sidebar and download a copy. So get our your copy of the CAFE book and let's get reading!

Corkboard Connections

FREE Daily 5 Resouces for Your Classroom!

There have been so many great blog posts about the Daily 5 on this blog, and how to incorporate it into our classrooms. We have just finished creating 18 FREE Daily 5 resources that we used last school year and modified this summer. Just click on the titles below and you will be taken to each FREE individual resource. We began the Daily 5 this past school year and found it to be an amazing way to help our students become proficient readers and writers! Enjoy!


Daily 5 Choice Cards for Pocket Charts
Daily 5 Good Fit Books Powerpoint
Daily 5 Signs for Class Library
Daily 5 I PICK Poster
Daily 5 Introduction Powerpoint
Daily 5 Listen to Reading Fiction Worksheet
Daily 5 Listen to Reading Poster
Daily 5 Listen to Reading Nonfiction Worksheet
Daily 5 Listen to Reading Sign Up Chart
Daily 5 Read to Self Poster
Daily 5 Read to Someone Poster
Daily 5 Read to Someone Reminders Poster
Daily 5 Reading Journal
Daily 5 Reflection Sheet for Students
Daily 5 Student Check In Sheet
Daily 5 Weekly Reflection Log
Daily 5 Word Work Poster
Daily 5 Work on Writing Poster



We hope that you find the above resources useful as you begin your journey on another successful school year.

"The Daily 5 and CAFE are trademark and copy written content of Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters. Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters does not authorize or endorse these materials.

Daily 5: Chapter 7

Jugglers spinning plates…

I can totally see this vision in my mind after reading The Daily 5! 

Keeping sight on this vision will likely help you stay on track and not get frustrated as you implement each different aspect of The Daily 5.  In the end, just like the juggler where all plates are spinning perfectly, you and your students will be perfectly rotating through Focus Lessons and Dailys!

The first part of Chapter 7 looks at putting all parts of The Sister’s plan in motion…at the same time…and in the order the students choose.  They discuss how letting go of the control and not telling the students which the 5 parts to work on is very difficult, even after doing this for so long.  However, they add that, just like adults, students will be much more interested in doing the work they think is important depending on their moods and how they feel each day.  They will have ownership and independence.

Check In is the time when students will let the teacher know which choice they want to work on first.  The teacher keeps track of this and makes sure the number will work out.  If not, adjustments are made in the group before students head off in different directions to work.  The Sisters say students are more accountable, therefore more likely to work harder, when their choices are said aloud.

After Check In, the teacher should release each group of students one at the time to cut down on the chaos and stampede that may occur.  I love the way they mentioned having students all sit with their eyes closed visualizing what they were going to do that day until their group was called.  What a great, positive way to start the working time!

The last part of Chapter 7 deals with Troubleshooting.  I could go into detail here and summarize each of the 10 questions addressed in the Chapter.  I think I’ll choose to let you Read to Self on that one.  My takeaway from the questions, which were all great with exceptional answers, is that no matter your grade level, no matter your student population, no matter your room size or arrangement, no matter you teaching experience, The Daily 5 or perhaps The Daily 3 for upper grades can be molded to conform to what you need!

As a Middle School Math Teacher – yes, a Middle School Math Teacher – I gleaned many great ideas and strategies from this book, which is exactly why I wanted to be a part of this awesome book study!  A good strategy is a good strategy no matter what.  The strategies behind the groupings, work stations, and conferencing times can completely be applied in my classroom.

I will admit that I can see this taking a bit of time to set up and a fair amount of work to get the routines set into place and running smoothly.  Do I think the time and effort would be worth it?  Absolutely!  I so wish my own children would have been in a Daily 5 classroom years ago!

I hope you have enjoyed this book study as much as I have!

Don’t forget that the second book study starts right after this one.  We will be going through another book from The Sisters, CAFÉ.

Check back here on Sunday, July 22nd for Chapter 1!

Enjoy J

Making It {and smiling}

Daily 5 Chapter 6 - Word Work

Hey book study buddies!  I'm Dana from 3rd Grade Gridiron and I'm co-hosting Ch. 6 with Molly from Lessons in Laughter.

Molly is discussing Working on Writing (click HERE to go there!).
I'll be discussing another critical component of Daily 5:  Word Work.

Word work consists of spelling, vocabulary, and sight words.  It works hand in hand with reading and writing.  If the students are able to decode words to spell them and understand their meanings while reading, they will be able to use them in the correct context while writing.

The biggest thing I love about the Sister's approach are the routines and procedures.  Making your I-charts and other anchor charts, discussing the expectations, and lots of modeling are crucial to the success of independent work in your classroom.  

Some of the word work ideas I've used (and the Sisters recommended) are:

* whiteboards *

My kids LOVE to write on the whiteboards!  The practice for them is stress-free because if they make a mistake, one of their friends can tactfully point it out, help them correct it, and they're on their way!

* magnetic letters *

I don't care how old you are, you're never too old for magnetic letters!  They are fabulous manipulatives to use to help the students spell words, chunk them into syllables, and find spelling patterns.  You can use them on the classroom dry erase board, the side of a metal bookshelf or filing cabinet, or even a cookie sheet!  Just as in math, the kids need to be able to manipulate these letters, syllables, and rimes.  This will help them better understand what they mean and how it can help them in reading and writing.

* colored markers *

Colored markers (or pencils) can be a fun and colorful way to practice spelling!  My kids like to use different colors to show syllables.  They also use the markers to write rhyming words and to "Rainbow Write" their words.

Here is another word work idea my kids love!

Here are two word work freebies I made for my kids:

 

 What other word work ideas do you use?  Please share/comment below!

The Daily 5 - Chapter 6

Hi everyone!!

I'm Molly from Lessons with Laughter. This fall I will start my third year teaching 4th grade and I couldn't be happier! I have used the Daily 5 in my classroom since I started teaching. I have learned so many new ideas from everyone during our book study so far and I can't wait to hear some more of your ideas! I hope that my ideas will be helpful for you as well!

We are splitting up chapter 6 into two sections: Work on Writing and Word Work. I am going to be talking about Work on Writing while the wonderful Dana from 3rd Grade Gridiron will be discussing Word Work!

Work on Writing

"In helping students tune their ears--and mouths and eyes, and even their fingertips, their nerve endings--to the glorious range of ways they can string words together, we need to encourage them to fool around, to experiment, to break rules even before they know all the rules. Who ever knows all the rules, anyways?

- Judith Rowe Michaels

By the time work on writing is introduced, students are pretty familiar with the gradual-release model for the Daily 5. Ideally, Work on Writing is not meant to be the sole writing time for students, it is meant to supplement writing instruction done at another time during the day. The difference in Work on Writing is that instead of writing a specific genre, it is writing of their choice.

Work on Writing is one of my students' favorite times during the Daily 5. Why? Because they have a choice on the writing that they want to do. Here are a couple favorite choices my students pick during Work on Writing.

Kidblog

I've blogged about Kidblog before, and it is wonderful way to integrate writing and technology! I set up an account at the beginning of the year for our class, and each student has their own blog. On their blog, students write reviews for books that they have finished. Then, they all show up on the homepage when students log in, so they can see the most recent book reviews. Students can use their Work on Writing time to write book reviews and to write comments on their classmates' posts. Throughout the year I will also write a post asking them to reflect on something we did, or discuss their favorite part of a field trip, so they can write a response to that as well. 

Friendly Letter

Another choice during Work on Writing is writing a letter to me about a book they are reading. I did away with reading logs (thanks to The Book Whisperer!) and in their place students write me a friendly letter every week telling me about a book they are reading. Some of my students use Work on Writing to write me a letter (or several letters) telling me all about the books they are currently reading! You can read more about the letters here, and see some samples of my students' letters.

Power Writing

During our regular writing block we begin by doing power writing. That is when I give students a fun story starter or question and they have 2 minutes to write on that topic. When time is up, they put their pencils down and count how many words they wrote down. It focuses on getting your thoughts down on paper and not worrying about spelling as much. This is such great practice for my kiddos and it is amazing to see them go from just a sentence or two the first day to whole paragraphs after several weeks! My students always get so excited about the stories they start during power writing, so many of them like to come back to them and continue working on them during Work on Writing!

Story Folders

Story folders are another great choice for students during Work on Writing! I got this idea from Tara from 4th Grade Frolics and this is something that I plan on doing next year! To make story folders you can use book sleeves from picture books (or print out pictures of book covers) and glue them to the front of folders (one cover per folder). On the inside of the folder you can put pieces of looseleaf paper. Students can pick a folder and write a story that goes along with the cover and title!

These are just a few of the many choices you can offer students during Work on Writing. And of course, I have a spot in my classroom where I keep a bunch of looseleaf paper if they just want to get a piece a piece and write something else that comes to mind... a poem, letter to a family member, anything goes, as long as they are working on their writing!

Discussion Questions: 

1. How do you use Work on Writing in your classroom? Are you able to set it up as a supplemental writing time?

2. What are some other ways you can expand students' choices for writing? Do you have any great choices to share?

I would LOVE to hear your comments on how you run (or plan to run) Work on Writing in your classroom!

The Daily 5 - Chapter 5

Greetings! 

Heather, from Beg, Borrow, and Teach! here! 

I'm going into my fourth year of teaching 4th grade, and I'm constantly looking for ways to make my classroom more collaborative, while providing opportunities for choice and accountability.  That's why I've been curious about Daily 5 and CAFE.  It really lookes like it will fit the bill!  I'm excited to be writing about chapter 5, especially Listen to Reading, because it's near and dear to my heart.  So I've decided to start with Listen to Reading and then do Read to Someone. 

I'm a believer in the quote at the beginning of this chapter: "We need a definite purpose, a specific reason for listening, otherwise we don't pay attention and don't really hear or understand."  ~Robert Montgomery~ (p. 59)

So what is the purpose for including Listen to Reading in our center rotation? 

Listening to reading fulfills the following needs for readers:

• Hearing good readers read with fluency.
• Hearing good readers read in character with expression.   
• Gives the power of choice.  Students can choose to "read" books outside their comfort or instructional level because it's more about listening to reading than deciphering the words.
• Supports ESL students and those that are missing a daily read-aloud component at home

What are the cons?

• Students sometimes get a "false" sense of their reading level based on the books they've been "reading" at the listening center.  For example, "Harry Potter" books are excellent for most readers to listen to, but not for them to try to read on their own.  This is when you want to reiterate the "Good-Fit Books." 

How do I set it up?
One of my Donors Choose projects was to get 4 portable tape players (walkmen for the children of the 80s) and 4 portable cd players.

I put the tape players in the blue baskets numbered 1-4, and the cd players in the white baskets numbered 5-8.  I wrote numbers on the CD/tape players in Sharpie, and hot-glued the corresponding number on the basket. That way, students know which players belong in which basket.

This is a close up of the table that houses the hanging bags that hold the books on CD and books on tape. Both the book and the CD/tape are in the bag. I try to keep the CDs and tapes on seperate hanging racks. There's a pull-out drawer on wheels below. I keep the extra books and listening equipment down there.  I also have a large tape player beside the baskets so students can rewind or fast forward the tapes instead of using the portables and draining the batteries.

Where do I get books, cds, and tapes for free or cheap?

• Your school library.  Check out that audio section and ask your librarian for suggestions.
• Your public library.  Ditto on asking for suggestions.
• Goodwill Books online.  About as cheap as it gets next to yard sales and flea markets.

How do I incorporate technology?
Here is my symbaloo webmix that has websites divided into the different Daily 5 & CAFE centers.

Read to Someone 

What is the purpose?

• Students have a support system when they try out new words
• The listener may hear a word that the reader misread or skipped and can gently guide them
• Students can reread things that were difficult for them to understand with a student who understood

What are the cons?

• Upper grades students have a difficult time staying on task, especially when reading with friends. 

How do I set it up?
This is the order I would teach the following:

• Review I-Pick and Good-Fit books from Read to Self (p. 70)
• You may need to do a separate I-Chart for choosing a partner depending on the needs of your class (pp. 71-72)
• EEKK (Elbow to Elbow, Knee to Knee): shown in My PowerPoint (p. 63)

After choosing partners and finding a good spot, model/learn the EEKK & comprehension strategies:

• I Read, You Read: Students take turns reading different paragraphs or the same paragraph if you want to practice fluency (p. 63)
• Choral reading: both partners read the same thing at the same time (p. 63)
• Coaching or time: Use Use Reading Buddy Strategies poster to remind students how to coach each other (p. 73)
• Check for Understanding when finished each section (p. 64)

Additional resources to consider:

• Beth Newingham's Buddy Partnerships 
• My Buddy Reading Partnerships (in the PowerPoint)
• My webmix at symbaloo with websites to integrate Daily 5 & CAFE centers

Closing Thoughts

I hope you found some things you can use and ponder.  All comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

The Daily 5 and CAFÉ are trademark and copy written content of Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters. Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters does not authorize or endorse these materials."

The Daily 5: Chapter 4

Read to Self

Hi everyone! My name is Katie Klohn and I am from The Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher. 

This past year was my first year of teaching and I know that teaching is exactly what I was born to do. I always thought that I would find myself in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom, but I have loved every minute in 6th grade. 

I quickly turned to The Daily 5 in my classroom because I discovered that the whole group setting was not meeting the needs of my students. I spent many hours in the lower grades for my observations during my undergrad classes, and knew that I wanted to do something similar to guided reading/small groups. That is when I came across The Daily 5 and I have been using it ever since. So many people believe that something like this can only be implemented in the lower grades, but it can be just as successful in the intermediate classroom too. 

If you have missed the first three chapters of the book study, be sure and catch up because they are great!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4- Read to Self

 "Having children read to themselves is the first step in Daily Five and is the foundation for creating independent readers and writers" (pg. 46). 

Too often in today's classrooms, students are not given the opportunity to read independently. In my opinion, we are doing a disservice to them by not allowing them that time.

It is important that Read to Self is something that is introduced in your classroom starting with the first day of school. The Sisters mention in the text that they always begin this by gathering the whole class on the floor. The first thing that students must understand is that there are "Three Ways to Read a Book."

1. Read and talk about the pictures.

2. Retell the words.

3. Retell a previously read book. 

In my classroom we created an anchor chart for this as well as adding it to our reading notebooks. I believe that it is important for students to have information like this available to them in several places so that they can easily access the information. 

Discussion Question: How do you launch or plan to launch the Read to Self component in your own classroom?

The Sisters also mention creating I Charts with your students as you are launching the different components of each portion of the Daily Five. These I charts need to be created each school year by the students with you. In order for them to buy into the process of the Daily Five, they have to be a part of the "rule" making. I like to think of it as "What am I supposed to be doing during Read to Self time?" I also really like that part of the chart includes what the teacher is doing during Read to Self time. I think that it is important for students to understand not only what they are supposed to be doing, but what the teacher is doing too. 

Modeling, modeling, modeling. This is mentioned several times in the chapter. Even though I teach 6th grade, my students absolutely love modeling for each other. Especially since I teach all of the Inclusion kiddos as well as several ESL students, this is a must for my classroom. 

Discussion Question: How do you implement modeling within your reading workshop time? Do you always model, or do students model correct reading behaviors too?

So after students understand what they are supposed be doing during Read to Self time, what is next? It is important to then move into the practice phase of read to self where students begin to build stamina. Depending on the age of the children in your classroom, their stamina will vary. Very rarely can my 6th graders sit for more than 15 minutes while they are reading independently. This is a good time to also practice where to sit and how to sit while reading to self. My students do not tend to have a problem with this, but I would assume if you are in 3rd or 4th grade that your students might need a little more practice with this. In my classroom, I have a box of things that my students can use while they are doing Read to Self. In this box are questioning cards, storytelling cubes to check for understanding, as well as templates for reading response letters that they write about their books. 

Discussion Questions:

How do your students choose their spots of read to self in your classroom?

Do you allow your students the opportunity to book shop during their read to self time, or when do your students have an opportunity to do this?

Is Read to Self something that you expect your students to do on a daily basis when they are picking their rotation spots?

I am excited to see how you all implement the Read to Self component within your classrooms!

The Daily 5 - Chapter 3

What's the Difference?: Key Materials, Concepts, and Routines for Launching the Daily Five

Hello Everyone!  It's Katie Lyon from Teaching: The Art of Possibility. For those of  you who don't know me, I teach 5th grade at a private school in West L.A. and I'm also the Vice Principal there.  I also must wear a dozen other hats.....but I'm sure you all understand that and can relate!!!  Anyway, WELCOME to The Daily 5 Book Study.

I was so excited to discuss Chapter 3: What's the Difference?: Key Materials, Concepts, and Routines for Launching the Daily Five with everyone after reading it.  After all, I'm all about having my materials ready to go and practicing routines in my classroom!!!  Once I got past staring at the picture on page 17 (the first page of Ch. 2) and wishing I had a LOFT in my classroom, I finally moved onto Ch. 3.  Where I once again was teased with the loft on page 35....but I pressed on.  I really started to think about what The Sisters were saying when it comes time to launch The Daily 5.  Let's begin.

Establishing a Gathering Place
The Sisters describe the gathering place as "an open space large enough for the whole class to come together and sit on the floor" (p. 28).   I'll admit, I was one of those people who thought that my 5th graders were too old to do that.  But as I read on, I began to understand the necessity of this area in the classroom.  After all, even older students need (actually crave) a chance to move around and not be seated just in their desks.  As I began to envision this space in my classroom, I knew it had to fit the following criteria:

• Be large enough to accommodate us all.
• Be a flexible space - my classroom isn't HUGE.  So I need to make sure each space is used to it's fullest potential.  (I'm thinking my library would be perfect for this.)
• Be comfortable - for me and my students.  This means a nice chair for me, pillows for those who want them, perhaps some crate seats, a rug, etc. 
• Have space for anchor charts. 

Gathering Place Discussion Questions

1. What do you envision your gathering place looking like?  
2. If you already have one, what makes it work?  Any tips for us beginners? 

Good-Fit Books
After finding a gathering place for your students, it's time to begin discussing and helping your students understand the importance of finding books that are RIGHT for them.  The Sisters have done a lot of research when it comes to this concept.  I agree with them that even more so than just having books that work for our students in the classroom, we must teach the children so they are "empowered to choose good-fit books for themselves each time they go the the library, bookstore or classroom book area" (p.29).  Such a difficult concept indeed.  We've all been there.  You have the students who simply love to read, the students who only read a particular type of book and of course the students who "hate" reading.

The Sisters introduce a model called I PICK.  Which stands for:

I choose a book
Purpose - Why do I want to read it?
Interest - Does it interest me?
Comprehend - Am I understanding what I am reading?
Know - I know most of the words

The Sisters explain an activity that they did comparing picking a good-fitting book with picking shoes.  A great analogy for students of all ages!  I believe this process could take a bit of time in the beginning making sure your students are correctly choosing books that work for THEM.  However, the beginning of the year is all about establishing routines, and this is an important one.  

This is where the Book Box comes into play.  After students have chosen books that work for them individually, they now need a place to put them.  As you never want your student to have just one book, but a handful so they can choose one from their box without needing to waste time wander the classroom library.  Students should have a variety of books in their book box of both fiction and non-fiction.  I even like to give my students the option of having kid magazines which are in my classroom library. 

The book boxes can be simple like The Sisters described such as cereal boxes covered with contact paper, plastic zippered bags, or they can be more durable (or neater which is what I like).  In the past I have used the following:

1.  Magazine boxes from IKEA (which I have posted for you below and you can order from a second party since IKEA won't ship them)  These were great because the students could decorate them the first few days of school.  AND They didn't cost me an arm and a leg.





2.  This past year, I purchased book bags from Really Good Stuff.  These did cost me a lot.  But I found if I wanted my students to also be bringing books HOME TO READ, that I wanted them to be taken care of.   I also have students and parents sign off at the beginning of the year on my classroom library form about the requirements of checking out books in my classroom library and the fine for replacing these bags if they become broken or lost. 

Good-Fit Books Discussion Questions

1. What are some ways you help your students select books that work for them?  
2. Do you use the I PICK acronym or something else?
3. Have you ever used book boxes before?  If so, what did you use?
4. Do you have a classroom library?  How many books do you have?  According to Jim Trelease (2001) "children in classrooms with the most books consistently outperform their peers who are in classrooms with little or no library." (I have over 2,500 and it's a pain to keep organized but SO worth it!!)  

Anchor Charts
Anchor Charts are another way to help students connect what they are learning in class.  These charts are typically done on large pieces of paper (I love my Post-It flip chart paper - so easy to hang up!!) and reflect ideas and concepts that the students have help thought up.  We've all seen the cutesy anchor charts that are floating around on Pinterest, and while they are extremely nice, they are not necessary.  If you refer to page 36 in the book, you can see examples of basic anchor charts which introduce the I PICK method and the guidelines to "Read to Self".



For my classroom, I have no problem making anchor charts with my students, however, I always run into the issue of where do I hang them?  With classrooms seeming smaller by the day and Fire Marshalls dictating a lot of what we can and can't hang up along with how much of your walls can be covered by paper, I find that this is where I would have the most problems.  How can that be overcome?

Anchor Charts Discussion Questions

1. Do you consistently use anchor charts?  
2. Do you use the I PICK acronym or something else?
3. Any tips on displaying anchor charts?
4. How do you overcome any obstacles placed on you by school, city codes, etc on displaying materials?

Short Intervals of Repeated Practice and Signals and Check-In
The Sisters talk a lot about practicing the routine over and over.  I think the most common mistake that we (teachers) can make is by underestimating the power in this!  So often we are faced with challenges of time and not having enough of it.  Quite often, we do not put in the practice that is required therefore watching what was once a great plan and vision for our classroom fall flat.  As they say, "Practice makes perfect!" 

On pg. 37, The Sisters introduce a ten step chart to improve muscle memory.  After reviewing this chart, it is plain to see you need to give each step its due diligence.  Leaving out even one, could make the whole model unsuccessful.  The part that I found the most interesting was setting up a small amount of time to practice, like 3 minutes.  However, if you see that even just one child is off task, you need to pull the group back together.  You do so without using disciplinary voice for that child but more with the idea that "with correct encouragement and practice we can help them build stamina so that soon they will exhibit the correct behaviors and be able sustain them." (pg. 38).  This idea seems simple enough but I know it is one I will need to work on and remember when implementing this in my classroom. 

After you have allowed the students to practice over and over again, you need to set up some sort of signal to let the students know to reconvene on at the gathering place.  The Sisters mention the one they use of chimes.  However, I have seen teachers use bells, drums, a count of 1-2-3, and so on.  I think what is important is finding what works for you and your classroom and again practicing it.

Finally, check-in with your students.  Have them discuss what went well and what could have gone better.  Refer back to the anchor chart you created.  Allow students to model for the class the correct way and of course the incorrect way.  By doing so, you are laying the groundwork for your procedures.

Repeated Practice, Signals and Check-in Discussion Questions

1. What are some tips that you have for teachers when doing repeated practice?  
2. What signals do you use in your classroom?
3. Why do you think check-in is an important aspect of this model? 

As I finished chapter 3, I finally understood why things I had tried to implement in the past did not work the way I wanted them to. Plain and simple, I never invested the "practice time" into it.  I was always more worried about getting through everything or what would my principal would think if she walked in while I was spending time doing this.  Now I feel more prepared with an answer if I was asked.  :-)  I leave you with the parting words of The Sisters from Chapter 3.

"The beginning of the year is all about establishing routines, defining expectations, practicing behaviors, and building stamina with children within the Daily Five framework, and it takes lots of discipline on the children's part as well as the teacher's. We move slowly to eventually move fast. 

The payoff is enormous."  (pg. 42)   

 I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Chapter 3.  I have created a freebie for you to use.  One is a bookmark you can print and laminate for your students on the I PICK method.  Simple and to the point.  You can get it here: I PICK Bookmarks


Enjoy! 

The Daily 5- Chapter 2

From "Management" to "Principled Habits "

Hi everyone! This is Stephanie from 3rd Grade Thoughts.

I am so excited to share Chapter 2: From "Management" to "Principled Habits"-- I am a big-picture person and this chapter really helps set up the overarching principles of a successful Daily 5 in your room. Enjoy and remember to post your thoughts in the comments below!

The Daily 5 - Chapter 1: Introduction!

Hello!

I am Abby from Third Grade Bookworm and I could not be more excited to kick off our summer book study with you!

I am a 3rd grade teacher in Georgia. My school is departmentalized 1st-5th, so I teach Reader's Workshop, Writer's Workshop and Skills Block (ELA) to 2 groups of students each day. On a *perfect* day, I get about 2 hours and 15 minutes with each group. That means no fire drills, or assemblies, field trips, IEP meetings... :)

Having taught at an America's Choice school for 10 years, I have been seriously invested in the workshop model.  That being said, I found myself really interested in the CAFE/Daily 5 model when our fabulous literacy coach brought it up this year. I read both books but didn't have time to really "digest" or put into action all of the fabulous things I learned.

So, when I started reading The Daily 5 again , I found myself saying - "Oh! Me too!" over and over during Chapter 1 when The Sisters wrote about all of the "things" they found themselves doing after school once the kids left... restocking centers, grading an assortment of "busywork" papers, assessing reading and writing tasks, etc.. I've often found myself looking up at the clock around 4:00 every afternoon, only to realize I haven't started to make my mini-lesson charts or prepare for my small groups and conferences for the next day. Then, I came across this question:

"Did those things just keep our kids busy, or were they engaged in literacy tasks that will make a difference in their literate lives?" (p. 4)

I had to be honest with myself. Many of the things my kids were doing quickly found their way into the recycle box! :) They were activities that aligned with the standards we were working on but they weren't meaningful activities that made my students better readers and writers. 

I also appreciated The Sisters' honesty in noting that during the first few weeks of school, their literacy instruction is focused on putting rituals and routines in place, setting expectations and building students' stamina for working and learning. I do have that fear of the Curriculum Cops coming by and wondering why I haven't started addressing the standards yet, but I'm prepared! 

"The way teachers structure their learning environment and the way students spend their time influences the level of reading proficiency the students have attained at the end of the year." (p.7)

In other words -  if we don't take time to establish the structure and expectations of our literacy block, our students will not be able to meet their potential as readers and writers during their year with us. Take that, Curriculum Cops! :)

As I try to reconcile the workshop model and Daily 5, I have a couple of questions I want to leave you with:

• How does your current time for teaching literacy compare with what The Sisters suggest for The Daily 5? Is it longer? Shorter? Are you open to making an adjustment? Do you have a "block" of time you can set aside?

• With intermediate students, our schedules are often more constrained than those of our primary counterparts. Are there pieces of The Daily 5 you would consider more "essential" than others? For example, would you consider Listen to Reading an essential component? 

Finally, I wanted to challenge you to take a look at your own management techniques and start to plan for those "tweaks" we all make every year. Think about how The Daily 5 will change the structure of your classroom environment. What will you keep? Throw out? Tweak?

I'm including a printable freebie that mirrors the chart The Sisters developed on pages 7-9. The first page is the one I'll be using. I pulled out the pieces I wanted to focus on the most. The second page is blank so that you can focus on what fits you and your classroom.



Management Evolution





I can't wait to hear what everyone has to say! Happy Reading!

Abby