Working Hard to Build Stamina!

Students have been working hard at building their stamina in four of the five areas of the Daily 5.  While they made it to 20 minutes in Read to Self last week, they did fall backwards and are working hard to build that stamina back to 20 minutes.  We launched Work on Writing this week as well continued building stamina for Read to Someone and Listen to Reading.  Along with this, students have started learning about and practicing strategies off our Cafe board, probably the most important aspect of the Daily 5.  Through my discussion with the students, I have determined they used a CAFE board in their classrooms previously but never really understood what it was for.  So before we started putting strategies on our CAFE board in 3B, we had a great discussion on why we use it and what it means.

This board is part of the Daily 5 in which strategies are taught to students in the areas of
      C -  comprehension
      A -  accuracy
      F -  fluency
      E -  expanding vocabulary
Just like you order off a menu when sitting in a CAFE, this wall is a menu of strategies and skills that we work on in 3rd grade to build reading.

Strategies are posted on the CAFE board under the area of reading they build and strengthen.  Thus far students have reviewed and practiced:
     Check for Understanding as a comprehension strategy
     Cross Checking as an accuracy strategy
     Reading with Expression as a fluency strategy
     Just Right Books for fluency and comprehension
     Go back and reread as a fluency strategy

We also have started reviewing and learning about what it means to use "coach or time" when reading with someone.  This entitles the student who is listening to take the role of a teacher and help give strategies to their reading partner when he/she is stuck on a word.  Thus, the listener and reader learn and apply various word attack strategies.

This coming week we will continue to build our "coach or time" strategies,  practice reading with expression,  and talk about what it means to be a "Voracious Reader".

I will also be sending information home about students independent reading at home sometime this week.  Look for information at the beginning of the week.