How Can Elementary Students Use Daily 5/CAFE to Support Their Writing Goals + Frequently Asked Questions

 

      To start off, there is not just a "one size fits all" learning approach for teachers. There are many other approaches that teachers can acknowledge to better have their students succeed in the classroom. Daily 5/CAFE gives teachers a whole new perspective on how to teach writing, reading, and literacy in the classroom giving students a way to be independent and helps out the flexibility of you as the teacher. This teaching method also measures the growth of students and what they are understanding and comprehending. The Daily 5 includes: 

• Read to Self
• Read to Someone 
• Listen to Reading
• Word Work
• Work on Writing 

Credit to Katie Goodman on Pinterest

     Another method that teachers can use is the CAFE menu. This type of method is a helpful strategy students when assessing their knowledge on literacy. As shown in the picture up above The CAFE menu looks just like a menu that one would receive at a restaurant. Hints to why the title of this teaching method is The CAFE menu! The CAFE menu falls under certain categories. These categories are:

• Comprehension
• Accuracy
• Fluency 
• Expanding Vocabulary

    As a teacher, one can refer to this helpful guide of how to incorporate this teaching strategy in the classroom. First, the teacher can set the guide like a menu and divide it into four categories. There needs to be a clear distinction as to if the students understand what they are reading, if they can read the words in the book, if they can read accurately and expressively, and lastly, if they can point out any interesting words and use them in their writing.

Resourceful Videos:

Credit: Preview: Intermediate Daily Five (DVD) - YouTube

     Video Description: In this video, there are two teachers explaining that not all the students have to complete all five tasks while in the classroom. This type of teaching method is similar to differentiated instruction in which teachers give the students the option as to what Daily 5 task works best for them. The teachers further mention that each student works at a different pace and some more intermediate than others. In this case, if some students are reading above their average grade level, they will most likely spend the majority of their time reading to themselves as well as practicing and working on their writing rather than listen to reading or even read to someone because being intermediate students, some of that reading naturally takes place in their heads.

Credit: https://youtu.be/F4p8pPB4UNM

    Video Description: The teacher in this video explains that students can have the opportunity to choose from any of the Daily 5, giving the students a variety of useful options to enhance their reading and writing. She explains in depth each task and what they are as well as how the students can use each of the tasks to their benefit.

 Helpful Worksheet/Website:

THE DAILY 5 - Mrs. Harrington's Class (weebly.com)

This website provides a clear image of what Daily 5/CAFE is on the homepage. Like me, this person loves to blog and provides helpful strategies about Daily 5/CAFE!

References:

     Behne, A., Boushey, G. (2019). The CAFE book. Engaging all students in daily literacy assessment and instruction (The Second Edition), 2-231. United States: Stenhouse Publishers.

    Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2012). Big ideas behind daily 5 and CAFE. The Reading Teacher, 66(3), 172-178. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1002/TRTR.01116

   Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5. Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades, 3-123. United States: Stenhouse Publishers