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Monday, May 21, 2012

This school year isn't over, but I'm already thinking of next year.  In looking at the individual reading inventories of my students, I know that comprehension will be the main focus of my instruction.  Because of that, I want to revise The CAFE Menu that I have been using as my instructional "road map".  For those of you that aren't familiar with CAFE, it is the instructional plan of Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (known as "The Sisters") outlined in their book:  The CAFE Book. CAFE is an acronym to help students categorize and remember strategies for:  Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary.
I have already revised their CAFE Menu once before to pare down the accuracy and fluency strategies for my intermediate students.  Now I want to entire menu to be comprehension for my looping class of fifth graders.  My new CAFE acronym is:
Critical and Creative Thinking:  I am an active, engaged reader.
Author's Purpose:  I know the message the author is sending.
Facts/Details:  I remember the facts/details the author tells me.
Expand Vocabulary:  I can use interesting words the author uses.