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CAFE™ Articles

Moving from Guided Reading to Strategy Groups
If you are desiring to make the move from Guided Reading to Strategy Groups, we encourage you to give yourself grace and time to become proficient. . . . More...

Parent Connection - Something to Ponder
Are you looking for an article to add to your pare . . . More...

CAFE - Word Families: A Clever Way to Learn (PHOTO)
SMARTboards can be an engaging and interactive tool for learning. Identifying word family words is just one of the ways Daniel Woods uses this technology in his room. . . . More...

CAFE - A Portable CAFE Board (PHOTO)
Short on wall space? This portable CAFE board might be the perfect solution. . . . More...

Ready Reference Guide - Accuracy: Abundant Reading
Abundant Easy Reading is a strategy we've recently added to the Cafe Menu. Here's the Ready Reference Guide. . . . More...

Reviewing Good Fit Books - A Lesson (DOWNLOAD)
Teaching children to choose their own Good Fit Books is one of the greatest skills we can impart, as well as vital for helping them become stronger readers. Reteaching, remodeling, having others model, and offering one-on-one or small group guided practice all year long is the scaffolding that will make this teaching stick. . . . More...

The CAFE Menu: Assessing Knowledge (VIDEO)
In this video, Janet and a group of third graders review what they know about the CAFE Menu, from the meaning of each goal, to the strategies and how the students use them. . . . More...

Daily 5 and CAFE-The Launch - Part 1 (ARTICLE)
A Note from Gail and Joan: We are hoping to alleviate the concerns teachers have about how to combine Daily 5 and CAFE simultaneously. We hope it is just in time to help you think through the launch of your school year. . . . More...

New Spanish Emergent CAFE Menu (DOWNLOAD)
To support many of our students who may be new to English, the Emergent CAFE menu has just been translated into Spanish. . . . More...

Spanish Transitional Menu (DOWNLOAD)
The transitional CAFE menu is now in Spanish to help you support your students who are new to English. . . . More...

Ready Reference Guide: Accuracy - Recognize Words at Sight
We recently released our updated a . . . More...

New CAFE Strategies Highlighted
This is the latest edition of the Cafe Menu. We've starred the newest strategies for easy identification. Each of these strategies will have a new ready reference guide and parent pipeline soon. . . . More...

Data Walls & Technology by Karen Shook
I was looking through the Tip of the Week Archives . . . More...

Parent Pipeline Emergent CAFE: Listen with Understanding (DOWNLOAD)
When listening to a story, many times children hea . . . More...

Sometimes Y: Teaching the Different Sounds of Y (ARTICLE, DOWNLOAD)
Here's a short mini-lesson to try that helps students learn that the letter "y" at the end of a word makes several sounds. Sometime we hear a long "i" and sometimes we hear a long "e." . . . More...

Using Prior Knowledge to Understand (VIDEO)
In this video clip, Gail introduces a small group . . . More...

It's in the Bag! Organizing for Conferring (ARTICLE)
Do you ever find yourself needing a sticky note or a different leveled book while conferencing with a student? This can waste precious moments so I finally decided to get organized. . . . More...

Q: When you meet with a small group, do you take notes on each child in that group or mainly use that time as an instructional time?
A: When considering small grou . . . More...

FAQ: Do you have kindergarteners create and post strategy cards on the CAFE Menu board? What visuals do you use?
For many teachers of our youngest children, there is the constant tug and pull regarding the Cafe Menu ™ and writing the strategies to post on the board even before many of them can read. Joan shares her experiences with our youngest learners and the CAFE Board. We also show you an example of the CAFE Board from one or our readers. . . . More...

Spying on Yourself (ARTICLE)
Have you ever tried spying on yourself as a reader? So many of us spend time and energy teaching kids what to do to improve their reading, but do we know what we do? Even proficient readers use the CAFÉ skills! . . . More...

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. . . . More...

Supporting Students in Remembering Their CAFE Goals (Download)
As you travel from student to student for their individual conferences do you ever discover student know their old strategy quite well, but have a difficult time remembering their new strategies. Allison shares her solution. . . . More...

FAQ: We had two weeks off and I think my students have forgotten everything they learned about Daily 5. Help!
A: We either return to school from our . . . More...

Parent Pipeline ~ Adjust and Apply Different Reading Rates to Match Text (DOWNLOAD)
Written by Allison Behne It is importa . . . More...

Teaching the Accuracy Strategy of Stretch and Read to the Whole Class (VIDEO)
Sometimes we make lessons too hard by thinking we have to compile and use complicated materials. Check out this video as Kelly brilliantly introduces an accuracy strategy with nothing but a white board and pen. . . . More...

Parent Pipeline - Recognize and Explain Cause and Effect Relationships
By Alison Behne By learning about cause and ef . . . More...

Creating Two Different CAFE Menus for Whole Group and Small Group Work
Lynn Kasparian from Reading, Massachusetts, wrote . . . More...

This CAFE™ Menu is Interactive, Hyperlinking the Resources for YOU!
Did you know we have an interactive CAFE™ Me . . . More...

Survey Says...Responses from Support Staff and Classroom Teachers Who Work Together
Three Hundred Eighty One of you responded to our s . . . More...

Expanding Sight Word Vocabulary
by Allison Behne It is im . . . More...

Parent Letter Introducing CAFE and Parent Pipeline
Allison's back at school a few days before us and . . . More...

FAQ - The sticky notes keep falling off the CAFE board. Any other ideas for students declaring their goals?
Well, the quick and easy fix is to use the Super S . . . More...

Daily 5 and CAFE - The Launch Part 2 (ARTICLE)
Part Two of a three-part excerpt to help alleviate concerns teachers have about how to combine Daily 5 and CAFE simultaneously. We hope it is just in time to help you think through the launch of your school year. . . . More...

A Yellow Sticky Note - Check for Understanding (Lesson)
by Trish Prentice I have a student who reads be . . . More...

Parent Pipeline - Summarize Text; Include Sequence of Main Events
by Allison Behne Have you ever asked your stu . . . More...

End with "ed": A Lesson Plan
The rules for using "ed" word endings are outrageo . . . More...

Parent Pipeline - Monitor and Fix Up
by Allison Behne As adults we read for pleasure . . . More...

CAFE Strategies 6-5-4-3: The Strategies to Start With If You Are Not Sure Where to Start
Don't we all secretly desire a perfect scope and sequence to teaching that would ensure all our children become proficient readers? Well if it was out there, we know that everyone would be using it already! The real world of teaching will never be that tidy. However here is a bit of support with where to begin with the CAFE strategies. . . . More...

CAFE - Perfect Poems (Lesson)
What's the best way to learn sight . . . More...

Book - Elmer - Predict What Will Happen Next
Elmer, the elephant, is most unusua . . . More...

Book - Hop on Pop - Use Beginning and Ending Sounds -
Who better to focus on words and so . . . More...

Parent Pipeline-Practice Common Sight Words
Parent Pipeline ~ Practice Common Sight Words and . . . More...

Parent Pipeline - Use the Picture... Do the Words and Pictures Match?
by Allison Behne When adults share pictu . . . More...

CAFE™ - Open Ended Questions (ARTICLE)
Lori reflects on one of her teaching goals, asking open-ended questions. Good questioning skills may be the world's most unsung talents, claims a to the point article on Asking Questions that is linked here. . . . More...

CAFE™ - Managing Conferring Forms with 'In Class' Support Teachers (ARTICLE)
Last week's FAQ was all about co-teaching with a p . . . More...

CAFE™ - Assessing Students at the End of the Year
The end of the year is approaching and that means . . . More...

CAFE™ - Crafting a 7-10 Minute Focus Lesson (ARTICLE)
I was working with a teacher who asked me sincere . . . More...

CAFE™ - Student Led Conferences (DOWNLOADS)
Ready for Student Led Conferences? We have al . . . More...

FAQ - We have a district-mandated reading program. How do I provide time for students to practice their guided reading book?
If you work with students in groups based on le . . . More...

CAFE™ - Word Wall With Older Students
The word wall is one of our favorite learning tool . . . More...

FAQ - Are your CAFE™ strategy labels preprinted for us to post?
A: While pre-made materials may be convenie . . . More...

Beginning the Literacy CAFE™ Menu: Lesson 4 - Back up and Reread (ARTICLE)
Click here for a PDF version of this article: A . . . More...

FAQ: Could I see a sample of your schedule?
A: We know that every classroom, school, . . . More...

Adding Strategy Cards to the CAFE™ Menu
Our system for posting the reading strategies we'v . . . More...

Strategy Groups: A Method to Facilitate and Manage Learning (DOWNLOAD)
There are many options for delivering literacy instruction. Whether we choose whole group, small group, or one on one instruction, we keep in mind that grouping children for instruction is a method for facilitating learning--it is not an end in itself. . . . . . More...