What is CAFÉ?

The CAFÉ framework, derived from The CAFÉ Book, by Gail Boushley and Joan Moser, is being implemented county-wide in grades K-5. The CAFE system, based on research into the habits of proficient readers, is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding vocabulary. The system includes goal-setting with students in individual conferences, posting of goals on a whole-class board, developing small-group instruction based on clusters of students with similar goals, and targeting whole-class instruction based on emerging student needs.

Gail and Joan developed the CAFE system to support teachers as they:

organize assessment data so it truly informs instruction; track each child's strengths and goals, thereby maximizing time with him or her; create flexible groups of students, all focused on a specific reading strategy; and help students remember and retrieve the reading strategies they learned.