|
|
 |
Video
Videos will be added periodically to the site featuring The Daily 5, CAFE , Classroom Design and the implementation for all grade levels. All videos are in Flash format, optimized for viewing on computers with high-speed internet access. If you are having trouble viewing a video, you can download a free Flash player for your computer here:
Download Free Adobe Flash Player Here.
[Many videos featured on this site are available for purchase as part of our DVD Workshop Kits, designed for use in professional development settings with full-color viewing guides. For more information, click here.]
|
CAFE - Pam Reviews Cafe with her class whole group (VIDEO)
This video features Pam reviewing some of the Café strategies with her class. We like her explicit explanation of her metacognition and how she thinks aloud for them so they can, in essence, see inside her head as she uses strategies while reading. She asks children to engage with the lesson by trying to figure out the strategies as she uses them. Each child has a copy of the Café Menu to refer to. After modeling, she asks . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Small Group - Check Understanding (VIDEO)
Small group instruction is a powerful way to take full advantage of our time in the classroom teaching children. When we first began our journey of teaching small groups, we put children together by levels, so they all had the same text. The challenge was, even though it was a small group of students who read at the same reading level, they all had different needs. We had just taken the whole group problem of different children with different needs and made it a small group problem! This video gives a glimpse into Carrie's room as Joan models for Carrie how to group children by need, . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Whole Group Using 3 Strategies (VIDEO)
In this video Janet models 3 strategies in combination. Author's purpose and Text Features help deepen comprehension, and paying close attention to pictures helps expand vocabulary. The story she has selected supports the strategy instruction beautifully. Watch how she introduces these 3 strategies, involves the students in the learning, and then wraps up the lesson for the children by identifing the strategies and their use. . . . more . . .
|
Design - Whiteboards the multifunctional tool
(VIDEO)
When students sit on the floor for a focus lesson, we want them to all to be engaged. Enter....the whiteboard. In this video Joan shows you the power of the whiteboard as a tool for reading, writing, math, or any subject students are learning. There are two different . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Expand Vocabulary - Tune in to Interesting Words - Small Group(VIDEO)
One secret to expanding vocabulary is to tune into interesting words. In this video, Joan and Carrie, a K-2 teacher, meet with a small group of students. Together they learn and practice the strategy of paying attention to words that are interesting or unique and then using prior knowledge and context to figure out the meaning of the word. The selected text is a poem. Poetry can be a great resource for teaching strategies. These students are reading at different independent levels, but are able to learn . . . more . . .
|
Introducing Small Groups to Guide Readers (VIDEO)
Whew! For many of us, the hustle of getting our fall assessments done is finished! But what's next when it comes to linking these assessments to our instruction plans? In this discussion with K-2 Multiage Teacher Carrie Osterloh, Joan and Carrie talk about how to use these assessments to begin forming flexible groups. . . . more . . .
|
Check-In Daily 5 (VIDEO)
Calling all kindergarten teachers! -- if all of your Daily 5 components are up and running, you might enjoy this video demonstrating how to help children learn check-in procedures. You witness th . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Check for Understanding - Partners Reading(VIDEO)
Check for Understanding is the workhorse of comprehension strategies. It is the one we consistently use, either consciously or unconsciously throughout our lives. It is so critical to comprehension that we teach it and revisit it during whole group and small group instruction, as well as during individual conferences. One of the places we encourage children to use this strategy is while they are Reading to Someone. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Debrief Check for Understanding and Coaching (VIDEO)
We often stop and reflect on our own learning after teaching a lesson. Joan and Natalie just revisited "Check for Understanding" during Read to Someone in Natalie's K-2 multiage classroom. Joan introduced checkmarks, to help remind partnerships that besides reading, they have another important job to do, which is to think about their reading and "Check for Understanding." . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Independent Work with Kindergarten (VIDEO)
We once saw a sign on a classroom door which read, "Teaching kindergarten is like trying to organize earthworms." Those of you who teach classrooms full of nothing but ego-centric five year olds may be saying, "Amen, Sisters!" So, what does Daily 5 look like in a straight kindergarten (as opposed to the K-2 example already posted)? Let's peek into Joan's Kindergarten as the youngest learners in the school work independently with their Daily 5 choices and she sidles up to cozily confer with her little individuals. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Whole class Independent Work (VIDEO)
What does a real live classroom really look like when all of the components of Daily 5 are up and running? We get to peek into Carrie's K-2 classroom. Her students have been taught independence for all of the Daily 5 components and have been given the element of choice when determining the order with which they will participate in the components. You will see Read to Self, Read to Someone, Work on Writing, Word Work and Listen to Reading taking place simultaneously. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Caleb Shares His Writing (VIDEO)
Wrapping up a session of Daily 5 with a purposeful and focused sharing time is a powerful way to review the strategies taught during the day and to review strategies previously covered. Sharing time also provides students with an opportunity to reflect on their own work, share their progress, and celebrate the growth of others. In order to keep interest high, we typically follow a few different sharing formats. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Tour Word Work Materials (VIDEO)
Many of the questions we receive about Word Work revolve around materials. Children begin to internalize spelling when they can manipulate letters, touching and moving them into correct order. Michael Grinder calls it developing their "Muscle Memory". The materials we use are conducive to this manipulation of letters. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Word Work - I Chart (VIDEO)
Word Work is one of the last Daily Five components to be launched. In this video, Joan and Carrie introduce Word Work and record behavior expectations on the "I" chart. You'll notice that familiarity with this process makes launching go quickly and students are able to contribute desirable behaviors with ease. One student even refers to previous "I" charts in order to see what might be transferred to Word Work. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - An Organizational Tool (VIDEO and DOWNLOAD)
Natalie came from a school with a very structured reading program. She loves Daily Five, but in her first year of using it, felt a need to come up with a structure for managing the morning so her focus lessons and the timing of each round felt intentional. She also wanted to ensure that she was meeting with each student in her room as their needs dictated. If you tend to be like Natalie in your love of structure and order, check out this video then you may want to download her tool to use yourself or to inspire you to create a system that perfectly matches your own style and need. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Read To Someone - Book Choice (VIDEO)
Have your students ever had difficulty deciding which book to read during Read to Someone? You have probably witnessed the same thing we have...each partner brings their chosen book and the pair wastes considerable valuable reading time negotiating (or arguing) about who's book they are going to read...sigh. In this video, Joan and Natalie teach students three strategies for choosing what to read while modeling respectful behaviors. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Read to Someone - Picking A Partner (VIDEO)
Choosing a partner is a very sophisticated strategy. We used to just say, "Pick a Partner and get to work." Moments later we'd be wondering why they were not being successful. Though we were tempted to discontinue the use of partners, we believed in the importance of partner reading, so we persisted to find a way to help make the procedure successful. After task analyzing the process of Choosing a Partner, we broke it down into a few steps that could be replicated each time students chose partners. In this video you will see Joan and Natalie teach these steps to Natalie's class. We teach this strategy during the first weeks of school, even before we launch Read to Someone, so they will be ready not only for that, but for partner work in all other subjects as well. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Debrief Picking Partner (VIDEO)
In this video, Natalie and Joan converse about how things are going with the Read to Someone portion of the Daily Five. Natalie shares what is going well, as well as the things that need some fine tuning. If you have dealt with issues like students always choosing the same partner, trying to manage the number of students who select Read to Someone, or wanting to foster a culture of kindness and respect toward others, you'll enjoy the troubleshooting tips Joan shares. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Book Boxes - Changing the Books (VIDEO)
Book boxes in a classroom are a wonderful tool used by teachers all over the world. In some classrooms they are magazine holders, in others, zip-lock bags. Whatever the material of the box, the allure of having a portable vessel to hold good fit books for children can be great. However, along with this wonderful tool in the classroom, there are always questions that arise, "How often do I change the books?" "How many books should be kept in each box?" "Where do the books in the student book boxes come from?" This week begins a two-part video series on books boxes. Week one addresses the management of the books, when to trade them and ideas on how to trade out the books. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Joan takes you on a tour of the Pensieve, or Conferring Notebook (VIDEO)
One thing our colleagues are most curious about is our conferring notebook, or as we have nicknamed it, our Pensieve. This tool holds all of our most important thoughts and notes as we work with our children via whole group, small group and one-on-one conferring. Coming up with the "perfect" system for keeping anecdotal notes is a little like shopping for the perfect purse or briefcase. You know what it's like…you open it, take the stuffing out…imagine your own things in the various pockets and compartments, buy it….only to feel months down the line that there must be a more perfect version out there, and the hunt begins again. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Troubleshooting (DOWNLOAD AND VIDEO)
The number one question we hear from teachers using Daily 5 is, "What do I do about students who struggle to sustain interest in independent tasks?" This video is the first in a series titled, "Troubleshooting Daily 5: Working with Kids Who Struggle with Independence." It features some of our favorite Trouble Shooting Tools being used with Alise, a second grade student who has a very difficult time staying in one spot and reading the whole time. Her off task behaviors are inhibiting her ability to grow as a reader. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Check for Understanding - Whole Group lesson (VIDEO)
The comprehension strategy 'Check for Understanding' is one of the first strategies we teach all of our students on the first days of school, along with "3 Ways to Read a Book" and "Good Fit Books" for our older students. This is one of the strategies we refer to as a "preteaching" lesson. We teach this strategy and reinforce it often, since it is a strategy readers do on their own and when reading with a partner. In this video, Joan team teaches with Natalie in her K-2 multiage class. Together they practice the Check for Understanding strategy in front of the class. This strategy lesson happens to be anchored to Read to Someone, which is a critical link in the success of Read to Someone. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Joan and Daniel talk about goals for Maria (VIDEO)
In this third of a three part video series, Daniel and Joan work together to set goals for Maria, one of Daniel's youngest ELL learners. After discussing what she already knows, they decide to move her forward by using something Maria is very interested in...the letters in her name.
. . . more . . .
|
Design - Classroom Supplies-a Simple Idea (VIDEO)
One question we are repeatedly asked is, "What is the best way to manage our classroom supplies?" There are many "best" ways to organize, display and make student supplies accessible. Joan and her students love the sense of community that comes from sharing supplies. She'll give you a quick peek at what that looks like in her classroom via the video below. It used to be that we only thought about labeling supplies with pictures for our youngest learners. However, we have found going visual with as many things as possible provides scaffolding for our English Language Learners and helps prepare the way for the success of all, regardless of age. . . . more . . .
|
Cafe - One-on-one Conferring (VIDEO)
This is the second video in this series, and we got excited when we watched it for the first time because it is a perfect example of a teacher really knowing and understanding more than their confidence level will let them believe. Daniel is a new kindergarten teacher. Joan offers him a conferring sheet that will scaffold his one-on-one instruction because he has a desire to glean more information from his observations and assessments in order to guide his teaching. You will notice as you watch that Joan doesn't really provide him with new information regarding Maria, but articulates and organizes what Daniel has already shared to confirm the direction he already believed was necessary. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Assessment Area (VIDEO)
Joan is going to take you on a tour of the assessment area in her classroom and show you the system she uses for organizing her assessments. How she stores the data she collects so she can use it for instructional purposes really works for her. If you are looking for a way to organize and store your assessments, wondering what to do with assessment sheets once they are filled up, or hoping to design an assessment area for yourself, this video may be helpful. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Conferring with Maria, a beginning reader: Part I (VIDEO)
In this first of a three part video series, Joan and Daniel (a featured teacher on our site) confer with Maria about the letters in her name. Names are important and unique, and many kindergartners come to school with a real sense of urgency to be able to spell, write and read their own names. The conference focuses on the letters and sounds in Maria's name and really meets her zone of proximal development since she knows all the letters in her name except for one. Watch as Joan layers the conference with new learning and a look toward future learning. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy, Flip the Sound (VIDEO)
Flip the Sound is a powerful accuracy strategy that not only helps students figure out words independently, but aids them in the process of monitoring and thinking about their reading. Joan introduces the strategy to a delightful group of first graders, but it is a strategy that works with older beginning readers just as well in the context of a one on one conference. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Whole Class - Predict and Confirm (VIDEO)
While working with the comprehension strategy of Predict and Confirm, Gail weaves in the processing strategy of Turn and Talk. Engaging all students in a whole group lesson can be difficult. At times it feels like the teacher is holding the conversation and learning with the one student who raises their hand the fastest and is called on most often. Turn and talk, moves students from being passive receivers of information to active constructors of meaning. Gail involves them in thinking . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Whole Class - Determining The Author's Purpose (VIDEO)
How do we help students understand and utilize the strategy of determining importance? Christie tells her students the secret...we have to know why authors write. After turning and talking, Christie's students share out a couple of the authors purposes they discussed. Christie then nudges them to give examples of books and titles that validate their thinking. Our state learning standards require proof of student . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Expand Vocabulary-Use a Dictionary (VIDEO)
In this video, Christie's whole group focus lesson is on Vocabulary. After reviewing the strategies her fourth graders already know and use when they come to a word they don't know the meaning of (read around the word and infer, ask a friend, read the smaller words within, etc.) she introduces the strategy of Using a Dictionary. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Expand Vocabulary (VIDEO)
In this video, Christie works with a fourth grade student named Herman. She approaches the one-on-one conference with the usual focus on comprehension, and takes time to model a variety of vocabulary development processes and strategies that will help him reach his goal of increasing vocabulary. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Vocabulary - Setting a Reading Goal (VIDEO)
Ethan, a fourth grader, shows us how much students know about themselves as readers, especially if we ask. Since vocabulary is his goal, Heather and Gail discuss how to monitor increased vocabulary, and how to structure an individual conference with a student who is reading above grade level. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 History - What Do The Kids Remember (VIDEO)
While Gail was in Heather's fourth grade classroom, they took a few moments prior to introducing the Daily Five to review what the students remembered about it from their previous years. It was enjoyable watching and listening as they reminisced, sharing their most vivid memories of Daily Five, some of which surprised us. We also use this lesson to wrap up . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy Picture Clues (VIDEO)
The power of utilizing pictures while reading can bridge the gap between being unable to read a new word and reading successfully, especially for our beginning readers and our English Language Learners. In this video, Janet works with a group of students who are beginning to break the reading code. The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how to use the pictures to figure . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy Cross Checking - Part 1 (VIDEO)
As an adult, what do you do when you come to a word that you don't know or doesn't make sense? You probably use the strategy modeled in this video called Cross Checking. Cross Checking is an accuracy strategy as useful to emergent readers as it is to adults. It is the process of slowing readers down when they come to a word they don't know, or one that doesn't make sense, and applying the strategy to the unknown word. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy - Modeling How to Confer and Trade a Word (VIDEO)
Gail models use of the conferring form during a conference with a second grader named Davis. Davis is just learning about goal setting and beginning to identify the strategies he uses. This conference is a great example of the "Trade a Word" strategy. You'll notice how Gail identifies the strategy for Davis and then layers "Cross Checking" onto his repertoire of accuracy strategies. The structure of a conference and the conferring form are . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Holding a Student Accountable for Reading (VIDEO)
Do you find that your older students or your reluctant readers of any age are frequently abandoning books? Pam, a sixth grade teacher shows us one way to address this situation with her student Artur. Pam confers with Artur about his goal of reading twenty minutes each night and logging in details about his reading. After he shares many of his reasons for not reading for twenty minutes, Pam gets to the heart of the issue, he continues to abandon books. She sets the expectation that . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Fluency - Back Up and Reread (VIDEO)
In this video, Kelly reviews Chloe's reading goal of fluency and the strategy back up and reread. Watch what happens to Chloe's pace when Kelly asks her to go back and reread to make the reading smooth. After that little reminder, Chloe moves from robot reading to the fluent pace of a proficient reader. Kelly sends Chloe off to practice the strategy of rereading . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Read To Self, Day 2 (VIDEO)
Would you like to see what day two looks like when launching Read to Self? Join this fourth grade class as they revisit and revise their "I" chart together as a class, adding behaviors that make it more reflective of what it looks like, sounds like and feels like to be reading to themselves. Gail notices that the chart is missing the "urgency" for Read to Self, so adds it to the chart in front of the students. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Check-In (VIDEO)
Students "check-in" before they begin each round of the Daily 5. We call each child's name and record their choice in our Check-In Form. Students who can't decide what to work on during a rotation are asked to stay with us when the others go off to work independently. In this video, Heather brings 3 students up closer to her on the floor and coaches them through the thinking process of what to do during their Daily. You will even hear Heather explain to Sevilya what goals she . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Check for Understanding (VIDEO)
Does conferring feel like a mystery or guarded secret to you? Are you wondering what a conference really looks and sounds like? Gail demonstrates that it isn't scary or complicated, just a combination of thinking, modeling, practicing and learning. Using a side by side approach, Gail models a comprehension conference using the strategy of Check for Understanding for Heather . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Read to Self - Part III (VIDEO)
This video of Christie's 4th grade students shows the process of taking the two dimensional 'I chart' for Read to Self and making it three dimensional. Students take their ideas and immediately apply them in practice, later reflecting and refining for success. When using The 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence, you may wonder if Steps 4 and 5 (Model Most Desirable Behaviors, Model Least Desirable followed by Most Desirable Behaviors) are critical . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Read To Self - Stamina Part II (VIDEO)
Stamina may be a new word for your students. If so, listen in while Joan works with Christie and her students. She tells a story about stamina that we use with all grade levels. We relate stamina to running, because many students have background knowledge with running, being tired and pushing themselves to run a bit farther. Listen and watch the children begin to understand how stamina relates to reading. We believe teaching the students the word stamina will help them stick with reading, even when it is hard. Joan tells them honestly . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Conferring Notes (VIDEO)
Heather, a fourth grade teacher, reflects on and shares her conferring successes and challenges. Heather is finding, like so many of us, that she has a handle on her higher needs students, whom she meets with daily, but she is wondering if she is meeting the needs of the higher level readers who don't require such frequent monitoring. The questions she has about how to stay focused on their goals and wondering what to write down when conferring . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Read To Self - "I" Chart,
Part I (VIDEO)
Asking the class to think about and articulate what goes on the 'I Chart" for Read to Self is one of the vital steps for launching or fine tuning this critical Daily 5 component. When students define what it will look like, sound like and feel like when they are independent, they are enabled to understand and sucessfully meet the expectations. The chart content will be similiar, whether made in September or mid year, as in this video. The featured 4th graders create an I-chart together and have had some previous Daily 5 exposure. Classroom charts vary . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Read to Self - Barometer Child Part IV (VIDEO)
One of the most critical steps when implementing The 10 Steps to Independence is also one of the most difficult for teachers to do. Step 8, Stay Out of the Way, can feel counter-intuitive. However, we must situate ourselves away from the group, allowing children to practice without our interfering reminders to correct behavior or interruptions of praise. If we truly want to build independence, then this step is crucial . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Word Work (VIDEO)
In this video, Janet introduces for some of our youngest learners, the Word Work choice- 'Write the Room'. Janet models use of the tools required for this word work choice - whiteboards, markers and erasers. She also reminds them how to move around the room as they look for words - quietly and slowly, as well as how to clean up afterward. The children have had extensive exposure to these materials as well as how to move in the room. Pre-teaching both of these components prevents the need for exploration time and allows the focus to . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Word Work "I" Chart (VIDEO)
In Daniel's Kindergarten Classroom, he and Janet have been using The 10 Steps to Independence to launch Word Work for the past 3 days. The class adds new thinking to the I chart daily, as they reflect and refine what they should look like, sound like and feel like during Word Work. This video shows the process of taking the messy, whole group chart and transferring it to a smaller . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Listen To Reading - Reviewing the "I" Chart (VIDEO)
We all have days when our kids seem to have forgotten the expectations for one of the Daily 5 Choices. If it is just an off day for the class and things get back to business the day after, no problem. But what if the behavior seems to be getting worse? What should we do when independent behaviors begin to slip? This video shows how we revisit the "I" chart to review and remind the class what they decided Listen to Reading should look like, feel like and . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Conferring with a Beginning Reader, Part I (VIDEO)
Have you ever been faced with a beginning reader, managed to help them progress in the reading process and then wonder what to do next? In this video, Daniel and Joan take a look at an emergent reader who has made Daniel wonder that very thing. Devlin is a very bright boy with an amazing vocabulary. He easily acquired letter recognition, letter-sound correspondence and knows many sight words. However, Devlin seems to have stalled . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Conferring with a Beginning Reader - Part II (VIDEO)
We are tickled to introduce you to a hysterical kindergartner named Devlin. Joan models reviewing the phonemic awareness strategies of segment onset and rime and then moves into the review of blending the cvc words to build off of what Devlin knows. By the end of the conference, the instructional direction Devlin needed became clear and was recorded onto the Reading Conferring Form. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Word Work - Part II (VIDEO)
This video continues the introduction of Word Work. The "I" chart is filled with the brainstormed behaviors and a new chart entitled "Where do we get our words?" is begun. Though it might be tempting to save precious minutes by preparing this ahead of time, we think it is important to do it as a class. What we have learned is, if the students are part of the brainstorming process, they are doing most of the thinking and therefore most . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Launching Word Work - Part I (VIDEO)
Word Work generates many questions for teachers and students. What materials are used? What words are practiced? Is this my spelling program? What about vocabulary? When are new words introduced and practiced? Because Daily 5 focuses on teaching the behaviors of reading, writing, listening and manipulating words, each teacher is able to bring their own curriculum, materials and favorite lessons to the structure and have them fit beautifully. Similarly, Word Work is a system for teaching children how to practice words, so your spelling, sight word and phonics programs can be infused into the structure seamlessly. . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Adding Choice and Checking In (VIDEO)
After Read to Self and Work on Writing have both been launched, we often feel a bit like we are standing on top of a mountain, admiring a view of great beauty. Students are actually reading and writing for extended periods of time and liking it. And we are loving it! Why would we mess with something that is going so well by throwing choice into the mix? We ask ourselves the same thing each and every year. Then we remember that there is a higher peak we can reach when we introduce choice. Students . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Lesson Debrief of Check In (VIDEO)
Heather just taught the class how to check in by stating their goal and strategy. After the students go off to their Daily 5 choice, Gail and Heather debrief the lesson. They discuss how articulate the students were in stating their goals and strategies. Heather reminds Gail that the goals had recently been identified through individual conferences. She feels the students have real ownership in their . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Check In with Goal and Strategy (VIDEO)
When we first ask students to "Check In", they do it by telling us which Daily 5 they will work on during that round of the Dailys. Eventually we teach them how to "Check In", by naming their Daily, their goal and finally the strategy they will practice. This video takes you into Heather's classroom as she introduces this more sophisticated "Check In". Before Heather introduced this "check in" procedure, she assessed all of her students reading and writing abilities, met with each student to discuss their strengths, helped them declare a goal and identified strategies . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Cause and Effect (VIDEO)
As students become more sophisticated readers, Cause and Effect can be a strategy to assist with comprehension. Students are expected to have command over this strategy on many of our state assessments. In this video, Gail uses a simple text with Brayden in order to model Cause and Effect. He quickly adds his thinking and goes deeper with the meaning. As the conference closes, Gail anchors the strategy to comprehension, and shares that we utilize . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Fluency - Adjust Reading Rate (VIDEO)
Kelly models reading fluency and the importance of adjusting rate by including the students opinions as she reads a book four times. They give her a thumbs up, down, or to the side, reflecting their assessment of whether it was too fast or slow. Kelly "adjusts" her rate as necessary, to make the reading smooth and expressive, like a real conversation. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy - Chunking (VIDEO)
Do you have a favorite way to teach a strategy? This is one tried and true favorite Kelly relies on when teaching children that many words have little words or chunks in them. This fast paced lesson is interactive, using children's visual, auditory and kinesthetic processing systems to practice the chunking strategy. Consequently, students in Kelly's class often try this strategy first . . . more . . .
|
Daily 5 - Behavior Goal - Read the Whole Time (VIDEO)
There are many scenarios that make trouble shooting necessary. While we typically do trouble shooting during the launching phase of a Daily 5, it may be necessary to pull some problem solving strategies out later in the year for students who lose focus and stamina. This is the case with Trevor, who had more control earlier in the year than he is currently demonstrating. A perfect place to address individual behavior issues is through a conference. Janet meets with Trevor in this video . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Remember What I Read (VIDEO)
The other day Gail was reading with and assessing a first grader named Ben. He read beautifully, with precise intonation and prosody, perfect rate and flawless accuracy. It couldn't have sounded better. Gail was so excited about his progress that she couldn't wait to celebrate with his teacher. She finished up the conference by asking Ben to tell her about what he just read. He looked up at her quizzically and said, "I didn't know you wanted me to think . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension-Teaching Multiple Strategies in a Single Lesson (VIDEO)
We have spent the last 2 1/2 weeks in Arizona writing a new book about our Literacy Cafe Menu. As we worked to put the Cafe strategy lessons in writing, we were constantly confronted with the difficulty of focusing on a strategy in isolation. Proficient readers weave strategies together, often without conscious awareness of all they are doing to make meaning of print. In the book, Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, 2007, Cathy Collins Block and Michael Pressley state, "Because reading comprehension is not an isolated process but a network of conscious and metacognitive processes, the newest instructional methods teach multiple strategies in single lessons. .... The research program that supports these lessons has found that even kindergarten students can use multiple strategies after 1 week of direct instruction and the result is normally significantly higher achievement than in control groups." (page 230) . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Self-monitoring (VIDEO)
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 story. This video clip gives strategies that support children as they grapple with learning to monitor their own comprehension. Joan . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Stamina and Fluency Conference (VIDEO)
It is the first conference of the year, and after stating that he is able to read quickly, Conner, a sixth grader, defers to Pam to determine his strengths as a reader. Pam looped with her class, so looking back at her pensieve from last year she reminds him of the many skills he showed her before they left in June. He was albe to inferr, understand character development, and comprehend deeply by comparing stories. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Summarizing (VIDEO)
Pam meets with Nicole to discuss her progress with summary writing. They have met many times before and are very comfortable with each other and the safe, supportive nature of a conference. Nicole is focusing on important details to help her write effective summaries. She is able to determine importance when reading non-fiction, but is less successful with fiction. Through Pam's gentle probing, supportive statements and . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Check for Understanding Whole Group (VIDEO)
Checking for understanding while reading is a comprehension strategy that will enable students to effectively make sense of text. Janet models this strategy with a group of first grade students. Notice how she practices this strategy 4 times and by the last time, the students are chiming in. By modeling and guiding their practice, the students are able to utilize this fix-up strategy . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Fluency - High Frequency and Sight Words (VIDEO)
Sight words are generally considered to be those words that students need to learn by sight because they don't follow regular decoding rules. Reading sight words and high frequency words with ease is one of the top strategies for fluency. Gail helps one of her students gain command over them to support her fluency goal. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Comprehension - Making Connections (VIDEO)
Making connections is a comprehension strategy effortlessly used by proficient readers. The trick to teaching this strategy, like many others, isto think aloud so children can hear what is going on inside our heads as we read text. For those of us who teach our youngest learners, this can be a huge challenge. You know how it goes, the book says something about one of the characters getting a bandaid and we are inundated with a slew of hands flying . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Teacher Reflection about CAFE (VIDEO)
Following is a debrief interview with Kelly, a first grade and featured teacher on The Daily Café. In this video, Kelly shares how she uses The Literacy Cafe with her whole group, small groups and individuals. Kelly shares that knowing the Cafe Menu strategies has helped make her teaching more concise, focused and powerful. . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy - Skip the Word Then Come Back (VIDEO)
In this video, Joan introduces students to the Accuracy strategy of Skip the Word and then Come Back. However, she points out that it isn't always effective to rely on a single strategy. She draws the children's attention to her use of Back up and Reread and Cross . . . more . . .
|
CAFE - Accuracy and Comprehension - Backup and Reread (VIDEO)
We are always amazed when we model and teach strategies to kids and one of our students remarks, "I didn't know you were supposed to do that!" Because we are proficient readers, backing up to reread when we don't know a word on the first try is such a natural response that we use it without even thinking about it. However, our most struggling readers often don't have this strategy in their reading repertoire. Gail models the simple but powerful Back Up and Reread strategy with one of our young learners. . . . more . . .
|
|
|
|
|
