Principal's Log: CAFE Day 4. As we start the school year K-4 teachers are introducing routines for learning reading (Daily 5 activities, how to pick appropriate books, ways to read - words, pictures, retelling...), and a framework for learning reading strategies -CAFE. CAFE is a growing practice at West Mercer. To oversimplify, it is a way of organizing the reading strategies we teach into 4 categories: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding Vocabulary. Along with Daily 5 literacy routines and our Houghton Mifflin curriculum, the hope is that students learn to stretch their reading ability in an authentic manner by applying strategies to a variety of real-life reading activities. Day 5. Kindergarten classes are learning the basic lessons of CAFE & Daily 5. The vocabulary and routines are strikingly similar to 4th grade. 2nd graders are working on their reading stamina as they choose 'good fit spots'; places they will be successful reading independently and with purpose.

Day 11, 9/13. First graders enter class in the morning, pull out personal book boxes and do "read to self". These boxes are filled with books at the students' individual reading level an are selected over the year collaboratively by the teacher AND student.

Day 13, 9/17. Mini-lessons focus on one skill at a time and offer modeling of reading and language skills. Options for students are expanded as teachers introduce 'WordWork' which is a routing where students develop basic language building blocks from

phonetics, to spelling and grammar. Day 19. I often enter classes to a healthy low level buzz of students reading with a partner, while others are spread around the room, reading to self, listening to reading, doing word work or

conferencing with his or her teacher, ver authentic literacy work. There is so much more to this program And our overall approach to literacy, but it is so great to see a successful launch, with kids to engaged in reading strategies.

Mrs. LeVeque's CAFE wall, day 4

Tracking Progress