The Silver Bullet

The past few months, we have had the privilege and honor of speaking with teachers from all over the world. We appreciate their enthusiastic response to our work, their thought provoking questions, and their dedication to and passion for the children in their care. However, no matter where we travel, one topic inevitably arises which sets our teeth on edge. It usually begins something like this, "My Principal/District/State mandates the use of a scripted program. How do I honor that and do Daily 5 as well?"

Insert heavy sigh here.

Principals/Districts/States deserve recognition for wanting to produce proficient readers and learners, but their misguided attempt to do so usually comes via a program whose infomercial has successfully sold it as the Silver Bullet toward that end. Well, if program X were truly a Silver Bullet, every school in the country would be using it already.

Our students have diverse backgrounds and learning styles. There isn't a single program out there that can meet the unique needs of every child. The "spray and pray" method of whole class instruction from a single scripted program hasn't ever historically worked, so why would we continue to do the same thing and expect varied results?

It might be time to take a stand on behalf of our students. A program may be a million dollar resource, but it isn't a 'silver bullet program'. So, is there a silver bullet? We think so. When our knowledge, approaches and strategies take aim to support the diverse needs of the children in our charge, we will hit our mark and our students will experience success. Therefore, the real silver bullet, the only silver bullet, is forged in the minds and hearts of teachers, who know, understand and work with their children every day.

FAQ

Q: What kind of writing takes place in Daily 5 Work on Writing?

A: The primary goal for our students during Daily 5 Work on Writing is typically the fluency of writing; getting the pen on the paper and writing freely on the topic of their choice. Since we may hold a tighter rein on the type of writing students do during Writer's Workshop, writing during Daily 5 is really a time when our children try out different forms or genres of writing, or even a specific style of writing that mimics one of the authors whose work we are reading in our classroom...

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/public/738.cfm

Sharing Secrets on the Web (Website)

Have you ever wanted to share information via the web, but wish you could be selective about who sees it? Well, now you can. Trick.ly.com provides a small layer of security and privacy by allowing you to password protect the content. Just use a password that only your friends would know and you are on your way. Want to try it out? Here is a blooper reel that we only want you, our most loyal fans to witness. The password is bloopers. Try it out.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/public/750.cfm

Registration Information for 2010 Summer and Fall Workshops

If your summer plans are already set, consider scheduling a working retreat and join us in the fall. How does Arizona, Maine, or Florida, sound? We thought so! Check out the beautiful places.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/public/754.cfm

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our site license members: Lake Travis ISD, Webster School, NBED, Maury County Public Schools, Wausau School District, School District of Crivitz, Richland County School District One, Keller ISD, Mercer Island School District, Willard SD, Patchoque, Medford School District, Marion Community Schools, Lyon County School District, Carthage R-9 School District, East China School District, West Burlington, Iron County, York County School District, Moorhead, Deforest Area School District, School District of Milton, Fitzgerald Public Schools, Burlington Community School District, Sunrise School Division, Ithaca School District, New Brunswick School District #10 Wittenberg-Birnawood Schools, Lake Shore Public Schools

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Parent Pipeline -Make a Picture or Mental Image (Download)

by Allison Behne

Teaching students to form pictures in their mind improves comprehension and thinking skills. We do this most effectively through direct modeling and student practice. It is also beneficial to encourage peer sharing and illustrations of mental images.

One of the most creative ways I have seen this strategy practiced is through an activity called "Stretch and Sketch" where the students spread out around the room with a piece of paper and a pencil...

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/856.cfm

CAFE - Using Three Strategies at One Time, Lesson Debrief (Video)

We enjoyed watching Janet last week work with a group of 3rd and 4th grade students. We especially appreciated how she wove three Café Menu strategies together as she taught.

In this video, Janet shares why she made the decision to focus on three completely different strategies during her lesson.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/1010.cfm

Math - Nine Holes, Strategy Game (Video)

Nine Holes (also known as Tapatan) is a strategy game, similar to Tic Tac Toe. The object is to get three markers in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Each player has three playing pieces, which can be anything.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/1003.cfm

Goal Setting with Older, Advanced Readers (Video)

In this video, Gail confers with Landon, a 6th grade student, who is an advanced reader. The point of this conference is to help Landon set his first goals of the school year and begin using his own Reading Conferring Sheet. Landon has had a couple of years of experience with Café so he is aware of what his strengths are. With Gail's guidance, Landon sets a comprehension goal. Gail nudges him to realize what he needs to do to stay focused, which is also a challenge for Landon.

http://www.TheDailyCafe.com/members/991.cfm

Video Updates

With the addition of our new video players with higher resolution and full-screen options, we are reposting many videos in this new format. As we make these improvements, we'll announce them in the newsletter. Here is an updated video you may want to revisit.

It is a real trick for children to understand they need to stop and 'fix it up' when comprehension breaks down. Often children don't realize the need for stopping because they aren't really thinking about the stor

This video clip gives strategies that support children as they grapple with learning to monitor their own comprehension.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/1001.cfm

Until Next Week!