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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: I sent you an email asking you how to start using Daily 5 in my classroom. How come you didn't respond? I need help! A: We receive hundreds of emails each week from teachers, and we read every single one of them. We have learned so much from our correspondence with colleagues. But at the same time, we are still in schools, and our first obligation is to our students. We cannot respond to every email because of the sheer volume of mail we receive (though we sure wish we could)! Our frustration with being unable to keep up with the email load is one of the reasons we developed the Daily CAFÉ -- we believe the most efficient way to address the amazing range of questions and needs we've been sent is through video demonstrations, tutorials, and print features. The website is how we provide practical, ongoing support to teachers who are trying out Daily 5 and CAFÉ Assessment in their classrooms and asking for our help. We would love to be your private coach, taking you step by step through the process of using the Daily 5 and CAFÉ Assessment in your classroom. We just can't do it through a one-on-one email correspondence -- there aren't enough hours in the day to correspond regularly with the thousands of members at the site. If the answer to your question is available on our site, we will depend upon you finding it here or in our Sisters on the spot video section. We promise to keep refining the organization of the site to help you find whatever you are looking for easily whenever you visit here. In addition, if you are just getting started, we have created the "Quick Start Guides" to give more detailed, systematic support. You can access those guides at this link: Quick Start Guides
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FAQ: Have you ever considered adding a place for member discussion on your website?
We have met so many teachers like you in our work around the country though, that we feel it's time to honor your need for collegial conversations. We are launching our Discussion Board for members this week. You can find the link to it on the left hand column under the orange Resources section. Once you log in and click on the link it will take you to our Discussion Board where you can do everything from Post New Messages, Search for discussions by topic and more! . . .
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Giving the Brain a Break
Brain Breaks are important because we all learn better when the content is given often in smaller portions instead of enormous content in long stretches. . . .
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FAQ - How do I get started with Daily 5 and the Website?
We heard from a few members recently who are embarking on their Daily 5 journey this coming fall. They wrote asking if we could post some suggestions for how to start learning about Daily 5 so they'll be prepared for the school year. So where to start with Daily 5? . . .
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FAQ: Which would I start with first, Daily 5 or Cafe?
For many of us here in North America, summer break has already arrived or is just around the corner. Twitter and blogs are a-buzz with what everyone is reading this summer both personally and professionally. Here at The Daily Cafe things are no different. We have been inundated with the question, "I'm planning my summer professional reading. What should I read first, Daily 5 or Cafe?" . . .
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Do you have any ideas for Mother's Day gifts?
A: As much as we love to help our students honor moms, aunts, grandmas or any other female in their lives, finding a project that is student created as well as something mom may use or treasure is a trick. This week we have two of our favorite Mother's Day projects for students of all ages. We have done both of these with our students with great success and moms love them This week we are bringing over two of our favorite Mother's Day projects for students of all ages. We have done both of these with our students with great success and moms love them! . . .
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FAQ: Do you ever tell students what they have to read during Read to Self?
FAQ: Do you ever tell students what they have to read during Read to Self? A: Like everything we do with children, there is not one hard and fast, black and white rule. Typically our response to this question is that we focus more of our time on teaching children the IPICK method to choosing books that are a good fit for them rather than picking books that may be a good reading level but ones they may not be interested in. That said, we also know that inevitably we have students that may need more support with picking books for Read to Self... . . .
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Expanding Vocabulary, One School's Creative Idea (ARTICLE)
We are always looking for clever and creative ideas for supporting children as they work on expanding their vocabulary. We received permission from Darlene, a literacy coach from Canandigua, New York, to share with you her school-wide vocabulary initiative call "Big Dog Words." The initiative is grounded in the research by Isabell Beck, PhD and her work with 'tier two' words. . . .
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FAQ: What do I send home to parents when I do Daily 5?
A: Before our classroom days included Daily 5, it was common practice to send our students home every day or so with a worksheet to do or share with families. We can look back on our own childhoods and see that this practice has been around awhile. . . .
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FAQ - How do you handle winter holidays?
as the years have ticked by, I've noticed an increase in children who do not celebrate Christmas. I would never intentionally do anything that would make a child feel that they don't belong. Yet, this is exactly what must be happening. . . .
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FAQ: Do you include a "behavior" category on the menu board?
At this time, our CAFE Menu that we build with our students only holds reading strategies, no behavior strategies. The behaviors are written at the bottom of the print version as they shore up the reading strategies. Behavior goals can be very personal, so we save them for our individual conferences with students. . . .
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FAQ - Easy Reader Books
Q:> I am having a hard time finding books that are written at a lower level, but of high interest. What are your favorites? . . .
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