Benefits of the Daily Five
- Cross-curricular integration of science, social studies, reading, and writing standards.
- Engagement and ownership of student learning.
- Developmentally appropriate for all grade levels. Specific alignment to the needs of 2nd graders:
- Repeated tasks and review of learning
- Working by themselves at their own pace and the ability to finish what they begin
- Increased amout of reading to and with children
- One-on-one conferring
- Need for security and structure
- Working in spaces that match their physical needs (for example confined or "cozy" spaces)
- Classroom environment that is suitable for sustained quiet work
- Reviewing learning verbally and/or frequently touching base with their teacher
- Enjoyment of inquiry activities like collecting and sorting
The Daily Five |
CAFE |
The Daily Five, which was created by Gail Boushney and Joan Moser, is a way of structuring the literacy block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks. These research based tasks are ones that will have the biggest impact on student reading and writing achievement, as well as help foster the children who love to read and write. Students receive explicit whole group instruction and then are given independent practice time to read and write independently while I provide focused, intense instruction to individuals and small groups of students.
When it is up and running smoothly, students are engaged in the Daily Five, which are comprised of: Read to Self Read to Someone Work on Writing Listen to Reading Word Work There are very specific behavior expectations that go with each Daily 5 component. In my classroom, I spend our first weeks working intensely on building our reading and writing stamina, learning the behaviors of the Daily 5 and fostering our classroom community. I also spend time learning about each child’s strengths and greatest needs as a reader in order to best plan for each student’s instruction. One thing you’ll notice that may be different from other programs/management systems is a direct decrease in the number of worksheets children complete. While worksheets keep students busy, they don’t really result in the high level of learning that I want for each child. Instead, children are taught to select “Good Fit Books” or books they can read, understand, and are interested in, which they will read during the Daily 5. They spend most of their time actually reading, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading. I have seen first hand how the motivation and enjoyment of reading skyrockets when this gift of choosing their own books is accomplished by extended practice and specific reading instruction for each individual child. As you can see, I am very passionate about giving children the opportunity to be involved in a structure that will have a positive effect on their education. |
The Literacy CAFE System helps students understand and master
the four key components of successful reading: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary. The CAFE Menu breaks each component—comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanding vocabulary—into significant strategies that support each goal. Posted on the classroom wall and built throughout the year, it serves as a visual reminder of whole-class instruction as well as individual student goals. I use the CAFE System to assess, instruct, and monitor student progress. It provides me invaluable tools for constructing group and individual lessons that provide instruction, ensuring that all students reach their potential. What I like most is that the CAFE system helps me establish and track the strengths and goals of each child by providing a structure for conferring; organizing assessment data and use it to inform instruction; maximizing time with students in whole-group, small-group, and one-on-one settings; creating flexible small groups focused on specific reading needs; engaging students, fostering ownership and accountability to reach goals; and developing a common language to talk about reading development and proficiency. The CAFE menu, with which students and the teachers work off of, has been completely aligned with CCSS standards, which allows for maximum curriculum integration. Furthermore, the system offers a digital tracking component which also for seamless conferring sessions. Information adapted from: https://www.thedailycafe.com/cafe |