Book Buddies

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We met with our reading buddies, again, this past Friday. Before they arrived, our class made cards for each buddy. The children chose to write their own thoughts, such as “I love you”, “you are cool”, and “___ is my friend.” When our fourth grade friends arrived, they were surprised to have such tokens of caring.

When we meet with our buddies, each pair of children usually picks one book at a time to read together. In an effort to provide comfortable space, we let half of the pairs sit in the hall and entryway near the library, while the other half reads within the classroom. The fourth graders are learning about intonation when they read, strategies for comprehension, and how to help a younger child enjoy stories. Our Pre-K students gain from the modeling provided by the “big kids”, opportunities to have one-on-one conversations about stories, and finding a sense of belonging  in the wider world of our school.