The CAFE Book, Chapters 5 and 6 (Conference Examples and Whole-Class Instruction)

Back to my own personal book study with The CAFE Book.  :-)  Chapter 5 is pretty short, mostly containing example conferences, so I'm combining it with Chapter 6 in this post.  

(VERY) Brief notes about chapter 5:

• Teach students to ask themselves "who" and "what" to Check for Understanding.
• Have students keep personal word collectors (can be used with Work Work for Daily 5), and keep a class word collector, also.

I TOLD you that would be short!  :-)  Moving on...

Notes about chapter 6:

• I LOVE how they point out that we never "finish" teaching reading strategies-what a great philosophy!!!
• The CAFE menu is built basically in order of instruction. 
• I don't know that I can fit in 3 strategy lessons a day-how do those of you that do The Daily 5 and CAFE do it?
• Students practice strategies in whole group by turning and talking to a partner. 

Whole-Class lesson elements include:

1. We identify what is to be taught, and share the "secret to success" with the strategy.
2. We teach the strategy.
3. Students practice with partners.
4. We select a student to write and illustrate the CAFE Menu strategy card (the first time it is taught).
5. We review the strategy.
6. We encourage practice during independent reading times.
7. We post the strategy after independent practice (the first time it is taught).
8. We continually connect new strategies to strategies already on the CAFE Menu board.

Other notes:

• A very important lesson to be taught early is the lesson on good-fit books. 
• The CAFE Menu Board is "simply a visual organizational tool that can help you link assessment data and goal setting into purposeful, intentional instruction" (p. 104).  WOW!  Visual and organizational!!!  This book is TOTALLY speaking my language!!!  :-)   

Chapter 7 will focus on strategy groups.  I'm excited about this chapter, because I think this will be where I "tweak" guided reading groups.  Do you use strategy groups?  How do they fit into/complement your existing guided reading groups?