Learning Log 8

Café Book – Chapter 1

1.  How would you differentiate reading instruction for your students to ensure each child is receiving instruction at their level?

Before I can differentiate reading instruction for my students, I will need to assess their reading as this will inform me of their strengths and areas where they need more assistance.  The next step is to set up the Daily Five in a literacy workshop that will provide students with five different tasks that they can work on independently allowing me to work with small groups.  The five tasks of the Daily Five are:  reading to self, reading to someone else, writing, word work, and listening to reading.  Using this program will permit me to conduct periodic assessments on my students to check their progress in their literacy skills development (Boushey & Moser, 2009).

 

2.  How will you use reading assessments to inform instruction and set student goals?

I will use the data that I glean from reading assessments to determine my students’ strengths and weaknesses, which will help me in designing the instructional program and setting goals for my students (Boushey & Moser, 2009).  I will be able to use those areas where my students need more assistance to set up whole group and small-group instruction.  I will also need to conduct individual conferences with my students periodically to check their progress and to check if their goals are being met or not.

 

3.  The chapter highlights the core elements of the CAFÉ system:  the conferring notebook, individual conferences, small-group instruction, and purposeful whole group instruction.  How do you see these core elements making up a reading block in your future classroom?

I see myself using the conferring notebook in my classroom to keep my records organized and up-to-date for assessing my students reading skills.  The individual conferences will allow for me to have time to assess each of my students, provide individual instruction, to establish goals for the student, and to monitor progress.  I will use the small-group instruction element as an instruction time for those students who are experiencing similar difficulties.  I will provide whole group instruction during this block of the school day for the needs that present for the majority of the class (Boushey & Moser, 2009).

 

4.  Good-fit books are essential to productive independent reading.  What can you do to get good-fit books in the hands of your students?  How do you define a “good-fit” book?

Good-fit books are books that a student can read, which means that the books are at the students reading level and able to be read independently (Boushey & Moser, 2009).  I can make selections of books that will be good-fit books based on the data that I gather from assessing my students.

 

5.  The end of chapter one discusses the concept of instructional fairness.  What does instructional fairness mean to you?

Instructional fairness means that reading instruction is tailored to each students needs (Boushey & Moser, 2009).  Students who are at a higher reading level do more student-directed work, and struggling students receive more individualized and small-group instruction in order to meet their needs.

 

Reference
Boushey, G. & Moser, J. (2009). The café book. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.