Reading buddies - Students at Kipling School took part in a ‘Reading Buddies’ program last week, that allowed older students to share a love of reading with their younger partners. Teacher Kyla White says that this also provided older students with a chance to see themselves as leaders and role models for younger students.

The ability to read a book, and enjoy reading that book, is fundamental skill that equips students to become effective life-long learners.
Through a ‘Reading Buddy’ Program at Kipling School, older students are able to share their love of reading with younger counterparts.
Kyla White (Middle Years Teacher/Student Services Teacher) organized the program this year. She says that the ‘Reading Buddies’ Program has taken place twice this year.
“This is one of those programs that we weren’t able to do as often because of COVID restrictions. But this year, we were able to do it just before Christmas and then again last week.
“Before Christmas, we had all of the students from kindergarten to Grade 12 partnered together to read.
“Then last week, we did another ‘Reading Buddies’ Program that included student from K to Grade 9.
“We had all of the Kindergarten students partnered with students in Grade 6.
“For the other partnerships, we had students in our different Student Advisory Groups. These are groups which combine students from Grades 7 to 9. Students in each of the various groups partnered with students in Grades 1 to 5. So, there could be one student in Grade 2 partnered with a student in Grade 7, and another Grade 2 student partnered with someone in Grade 9.”
White says that having older students partner with younger students to read, benefits both partners.
“The younger students loved it. Little ones enjoy reading with a teacher. But they will often open up with an older student in a completely different way. To see them so happy and so engaged was just phenomenal!
“The older students enjoyed it too. There were a few that were a bit hesitant at first. Some of them said that they didn’t know how to interact with younger kids very well. But I notice that a lot of the students who were the most hesitant…were the ones with the biggest smiles on their face while they were reading!”
White notes that she hopes to continue with the ‘Reading Buddies’ program and also encourages her students to look for other ways to interact with younger kids.
“The ‘Reading Buddies Program’ is definitely something that I’m hoping we can do more often. And I’ve been encouraging my students in my Home Economics class to share other things as well. I had my Grade 8 and Grade 10 PAA students bake cookies, muffins, and Rice Krispie cake, that they shared with the younger students.
“That was something that went over really well too. With younger students, you will never go wrong with snacks! And the older student took a lot of extra care with what they made, because they knew that they were baking this food for somebody.”
Ultimately, White says that older students learn how to see themselves as leaders and mentors.
“It’s something that happens so quickly.
“Students go from being ‘little kids’ to being leaders. Suddenly, they become the ‘big kids’ that the ‘little kids’ look up to.
“Programs like this allow those older students to see themselves in that leadership role more clearly. And it allows them to understand how much of an impact that they can have on younger students, which is wonderful!”

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