Reading Strategies

To help our students have a visual place to house the reading strategies they are learning, we use the C.A.F.E. menu (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary).  The strategies we are learning to help us become a better reader are listed on posters behind our meeting area under one of these headings. We point to the card where the strategy is listed and practice these strategies as a group, before we begin to use them on our own.  The "C' stands for Comprehension.  The students are learning that good readers understand what they read and to help support this, we are learning how to, "check for understanding." INQUIRE with your child about how they, "check for understanding."  

 How can you help your child with this strategy at home? 

1. When reading to your child, stop periodically and say, “Let’s see if we
remember what I just read.  Think about who the story was about and
what happened.”  Do this 3 or 4 times throughout the story.

2. When reading to your child, stop and have them practice checking for
understanding by saying, “I heard you say…”

3. Ask your child the following questions:
• Who did you just read about?
• What just happened?
• Was your brain talking to you while you read?
• Do you understand what was read?
• What do you do if you don’t remember? 

Students are also working on a number of accuracy strategies (the "A" in CAFE).  As students read, they are working on using their finger to point to the words, reading only the words on the page, and also getting their mouth ready and read through the word.  All students have a number of "just right" books in their book box that they practice using these strategies to help them read accurately.