Can I Show You How?

IAVHEYRD "Can you read this to me?"

So asked Clair, a young, emerging writer after she had written the string of letters across the top of a page.

"Actually, the author, or person who writes is the very best person to tell the story." I mentioned to her.

"Okay, but could you tell me what it says?" She repeated.

Gail and I realized this casual conference had potential to greatly impact Clair's view of herself as a writer.

"Can I show you what I do when I write a story?" I asked. I grabbed another piece of paper and did a sketch, read the picture, and wrote the first sound of each word. I reread my story to her, touching each letter as I said the word that it represented, and then asked if she would want to read it. She quickly pointed to each letter and 'read' my story back to me. "So when you want to write a story, you can start by drawing your picture and then write about it."

Clair grabbed a colored pencil, flipped back to her page with the letters on top and proceeded to draw a square and a large oval. She looked up and then 'read' her story. "Mom and Dad are watching TV. Jake and I are watching Mom and Dad." "I need to draw me in a chair, but I can't draw a chair."

"Can I show you?" Gail asked. She drew a stick chair for her, explaining how it was done, then Clair proceeded to draw herself on the chair. She then drew her own stick chair and her little brother sitting on top.

"You could add some details if you would like, perhaps eyes, ears, hair…"

"I don't know how to draw an ear." Using some good-old-fashioned air drawing, Gail showed her how to draw the letter 'c' as an ear. "I can do that!" she said.

In no time at all, Clair had completed her "story", learned how to staple a blank sheet of paper on the front for the cover and how to write by Clair to show she was the author. Then she proudly read the story to her mom and dad.

This conference is not unlike millions of conferences taking place all over the world each day. What was most thrilling for the two of us was the fact that this 'conference' was actually a conversation around the dinner table with our four year old great niece this past weekend.

As Gail and I got into the car and pulled away from Clair's house, we couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful and amazing she is (of course we are not biased at all). However, our conversation quickly turned to what we really learned from Clair about our own teaching.

We realized that the simple words "Can I show you?" were quick to come out of our mouths in the casual setting with a loved one. We wondered if sometimes in our classrooms we are reluctant to show children "how", thinking that they needed to figure out how to do something on their own, and it was somehow wrong or cheating them to show them explicitly first. Clair reminded us that sometimes a precise model is the best way to move kids forward. Thanks Clair!

2012 Workshop Dates and Locations

We have finalized our dates and locations for the Spring and Summer of 2012. Registration for these events will be open the first week of January.

April 15-17 San Antonio Daily 5 and CAFE
June 19-22 Murano Daily 5 and CAFE
July 24-25 Ypsilanti, Michigan Daily 5 and CAFE

Fall and Winter of 2012 dates will be released soon.

FAQ

Q: I am confused about Math Daily 5. How do the children know what to do in each category? Is there only one activity in each Math Daily 5 or is there a list of activities that they can choose from?
A: As with the reading CAFE, we add to the menu as we teach whole group.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/public/2093.cfm

Ask a Tech Teacher (WEBSITE)

Our districts have done away with tech teachers, so we were delighted to find this amazing blog by Jacqui Murray. It's like having our own educational technology coach.

Google Earth for Teachers (WEBSITE)

Made especially for educators and students, you'll find a variety of resources to help you optimize the educational potential of Google Earth.

http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/

Daily 5 Effects

Mary Spacagna, a 4th grade teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico writes:

I recently taught my reading classes to think of the CAFE menu like a restaurant menu from which we might pick something different each time we use it. About a week later I was modeling disfluent reading and letting kids suggest the strategies that might help me improve. May-le chimed in excitedly, "Mrs. Spacagna, you need to go to that CAFE menu and order yourself up a fluency hamburger. Then, after you eat that hamburger, you'll have the fluency inside you and it will come out when you're reading!" If only it were as easy as eating the right food to become proficient readers! Now, I hear kids identifying their strategy selection in such creative ways as, "getting an order of context clues with a side of punctuation." They crack me up! Thanks for all your ideas and inspiration.

Design Tip

There is a Clipboard Gallery featured on this blog that may be a great idea for your classroom or hallway wall. Art work, writing, book reviews, math thinking, or any work you'd like to highlight would be easy to post and change out as needed without damaging pin holes or staples. Scroll about halfway down to see the photo of the Clipboard Gallery.

http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/home_decor/

CAFE - Word Families: A Clever Way to Learn (PHOTO)

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/public/629.cfm

New This Week For Members

Interested in becoming a member of The Daily CAFE™? Click here for more information.

It's All in the Wording: Open Ended Math Questions (ARTICLE)

Allison Behne shares why having to stop and explain her thinking in math as a young student helped her become a better teacher today.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/1983.cfm

Early Conference with Nathan (VIDEO)

This early in the year conference with Nathan is fairly casual, yet it yields some very interesting knowledge about his strengths and possible goals.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/2005.cfm

Debriefing the Text Features Lesson (VIDEO)

Heather and Gail debrief the Non-Fiction Text Features lesson she did with a small group.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/1485.cfm

Spanish Parent Pipeline (DOWNLOAD)

This parent resource will help our Spanish speaking families who want to support their child as they learn to recognize and explain cause and effect relationships.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/2077.cfm

Book Look: Apple Pie ABC by Allison Murray

We love ABC books and are always thrilled when we find a great new one to add to our collection!

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/2074.cfm

Word Work: What Words? What Materials? (VIDEO)

Once the behavior expectations are set for Word Work, students need to know what words to practice and what materials they can use. Carrie and Joan are going to teach it today.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/1516.cfm

Until Next Week!