CAFE- Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Eavesdropping on Some Conferences

This chapter has little classroom scenarios with dialogue between the teacher and student.  I tried to highlight the key points.  The CAFE book has a great appendix full of the skills, why they need them, how to teach them and ideas for troubleshooting

Goal: Comprehension

• Check for Understanding- Have student read small sections and retell.  Model how to back up and reread if they don't remember.  Set up conference to check back with student.
• Check for Understanding with an advanced reader-  Have student read a page and then answer "Who and What" at the end of each page.  Have student practice and set up another conference.

Goal: Accuracy

• Flip the sound- Model reading a word that does not make sense in a sentence.  Read the word by flipping sounds until the word makes sense.  ex. Long o and short o.  Have student practice.

Goal: Comprehension

• Summarize- Advanced readers may have this goal once they have command over retell the story and check for understanding.  They may work on this goal for an extended period of time.  Students need to practice giving a summary orally or in writing.

Goal: Accuracy

• Cross Checking-  Have child read and when they get stuck on a word practice cross-checking.  "Do the pictures and/or words look right?  Do they sound right?  Do they make sense?"  There is a kinesthetic arm motion for younger children.

Goal- Fluency

• Reread the text- Model with a student who is reading a chapter book that is a little challenging.  Have them pick out a paragraph and reread many times until it is smooth, accurate and expressive.  Have child practice this strategy every day and mark the paragraph with a sticky note.  Set up another conference.

Goal- Expanding Vocabulary

• Tune In to Interesting Words-  Model with advanced reader how to collect new and interesting words.  There is a personal word collector in the appendix.  I have used sticky notes that get added to a class list, bookmarks, lists in writing journals, etc.  Set up a conference to discuss the new words collected and how to get meanings.