The CAFE Book Chapter 2: The CAFE Notebook and Record-Keeping Forms

Hi everyone,



I love that Gail Boushey and Joan Moser love office supplies as much as I do (see p. 14).  :-)  I'm excited to read about what they suggest.  As I mentioned during the Guided Math book study, I thought I might use a clipboard with labels, attaching the labels to each student's page for record-keeping.  I particularly like this picture that I found on Google Images, because this teacher has labels, divided by subject-all of the record-keeping in one place:

I think a binder is a logical place to hold all anecdotal records, divided by student.  I love their advice to buy a pretty notebook so that it is easily located, and I'm sure we'll all be better off if we listen to them and buy two (since it is doomed to fall apart halfway through the year). 

The Sisters suggest having 2 sections for your notebook (perfect since I just had to turn in a portfolio for one of my classes-I've got more stick-on tabs than I know what to do with!).  Section One contains teacher notes, and Section Two contains dividers/tabs for each child. 

Section 1: 

This section is where we organize and plan whole group instruction.  A calendar to schedule and document conferring with individual students and small groups is kept here also.  The calendar is used to schedule "appointments" with students to review their progress with their CAFE goals.  The calendar also serves to keep the teacher focused.  

The Keeping Track Form is roll sheet where the teacher can record the dates that she has met with each child.  The benefit to this is that the teacher can make sure she doesn't forget to give each child the attention he or she needs (some children will meet with the teacher more often than others).  

The final form type that they suggest you keep in this section is the Strategy Groups Forms.  These forms allow the teacher to keep track of who she meets with and what they work on (reading strategies within the CAFE framework).  The Sisters state that once students or entire groups have mastered a strategy and need a new goal, their name(s) is(are) crossed off of the sheet.  As they say, "[i]t's messy at times, but effective" (p. 22).  That sounds good to me!  

Section 2:

In each child's section of The Notebook (I love how they capitalize those words in such reverence!) is:

• a CAFE Menu
• Reading Conference form(s)
• Writing Conference form(s)     

I like how there is a spot at the top of each form to record the student's current strategy and goal as well as that student's particular strengths.  This system seems pretty easy to maintain and like it will keep me, the teacher, SUPER organized.  On this form you can record instructional interventions and observations.  There is another spot where the teacher can record what the student needs to do next to continue making progress (these seem like they would make good goals for future student conferences).  Also, these forms are simple and user-friendly-just what a teacher needs!

So far, the only thing I have yet to understand is the touch points.  Do you all know about these?  I saw them on some of the sample forms in this chapter.  I'm so glad I'm taking the time to finally read this book (and beating myself for not doing it years ago), and I'm looking forward to reading Chapter 3: CAFE Step-by-Step: The First Days of School.  If it's half as good as the 25-day Daily 5 implementation plan, I know that this will be a FANTASTIC chapter.