Supporting Students in Remembering Their CAFE Goals

During a goal-setting conference we move a child from assessment to instruction. We discuss the student’s strengths and challenges, decide on a goal, and set a plan for working to achieve the goal. We record this information in our Conferring Notebook or our CCPensieve. We end by scheduling the next conference on our calendar. 

Often it takes more than one conference for a student to remember the new strategy and truly understand what it means. One way to assist students in learning a new strategy is to have them write it down, explaining the meaning in their own words.  

My students write their strategy and its meaning on a bookmark that is copied on cardstock to be used in the book they are reading. This reminds them of the strategy they are practicing. As students fill in the bookmark, I am able to see their thinking and check their understanding of the new strategy.

I often have them use the back of the bookmark to write page numbers of places in the text they use the strategy, or various notes of specific tasks I have given them to support their learning (such as finding interesting words).

There are many different ideas for what this might look like. Download the bookmark I use below.

Want more ideas for to support students' independent use of strategies? Take a look at these links:

• Promise Card
• Personal Conferring Form for Students
• "I Can" Bookmarks