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Volume 10, Number 1
Fall, 1999
Author:
Nancy Rideout
Sixth grade teacher at Sabattus Elementary School, Sabattus, Maine.
"It's like an adventure every Thursday"
"The buddy program captures the spirit and enthusiasm of middle level students. It is a wonderful (and inexpensive) way to insure success for students."
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Reading Buddies:
An Adventure Every Thursday
"It's like an adventure every Thursday!"
This statement is how one student described her experience with a reading buddy. For six years, my three sixth grade reading classes have read to the first graders. The focus of the reading buddy program is to give the students an opportunity to share books together for thirty minutes a week. The program usually starts during the third quarter of the year. This gives the first graders a chance to become acclimated to their all day program, and the sixth graders have something to look forward to after the winter holidays. One of the first questions I receive from my new students in the fall is, "When are we going to start reading buddies?" It is obvious they enter sixth grade anxious to participate in the program.
We spend time during the fall reading favorite children's books to prepare for our buddy time. Student training is an important part of the buddy program. A few weeks before the start-up date the students and I brainstorm prereading, reading, and post reading strategies to use with their buddies. They have wonderful suggestions and compile an excellent list of reading recommendations. On occasion, the first grade teachers
visit our classroom to share ideas with the students. The sixth graders have lots of questions about the first graders' reading abilities and about suitable books. Follow-up discussions about reading strategies are important and occur frequently after the program has begun.
The first grade teachers match up the students randomly, but we always discuss any student who might be a special challenge. In that way we are able to select an appropriate buddy. Obviously some matches are better than others, but we have never had to change any partners.
"I'm glad I get to read to both a boy and a girl because I'll have a variety of girl's and boy's books that I'll get to hear."
When numbers are a problem, we might have to put two sixth graders with one first grader or vice versa. Once the "big" kids learn their buddy's name, they write letters to them and make bookmarks or name tags to share at the first meeting. When the big day arrives, half the sixth graders go to the first grade classroom and half of the first graders come to the sixth grade. Twelve pairs of students hurry to various special spots; under desks, behind bookshelves, into the hallway. For thirty minutes, reading, questioning and sharing takes place. I become an observer and circulate about the room enjoying this wonderful reading environment. All to soon, the students must return to their own classrooms. After most sessions, we take the time to share what happened, either orally or in journals:
He was interested in the books we read. I think I made him interested by reading with different tones of voice. Kenny enjoyed making predictions. I was surprised at how many predictions were true.
It felt awesome to read to a little kid. It felt like I was the teacher.
I learned that some students can read a lot better than others.
The students do a wonderful job discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their buddies and identifying problem areas. We handle most problems with class discussions after the buddy period. My favorite complaint? "How can I get my buddy to pay attention?" The students become very adept at offering suggestions to their classmates who try them out at the next session.
In addition to the journals and discussions, students are responsible for bringing books to the reading session.
"I'm going to see if I can dig out some of my old books from my mother's closet."
The students bring books from home or check out books from the library. They quickly discover what books are suitable or favorites for their new friends.
"Now I know which book to get next week. I am going to get him a bear book because he likes bear books."
In the last few years the reading buddy program has expanded to include additional activities. Two years ago, all the sixth graders picked one of their favorite buddy books and created a comprehension activity to accompany the book. The two requirements were to focus on a reading skill and to have fun. There were many ingenious board games, puzzles, puppets, and tell along boards. They certainly met both of my requirements. Everyone practiced a comprehension skill and had fun doing it.
Last year, the students decided to write books to give to their buddies at the end of the year. First they brainstormed a list of questions to ask their buddies. During the next few reading sessions the sixth graders
surreptitiously interviewed the first graders for answers to all their questions. Then the hard work began. The sixth graders wrote books which included as much personal information as possible. The results were wonderful. There were a variety of stories, ABC books, hidden picture stories, and activity books. What child could resist reading Nick's Adventure, The Perfect Day, Marshmallow is Missing, or Superhero Charlie.
I have always felt that the buddy program was valuable and worthwhile, but last fall I began to gather some additional data to verify this assumption. I consider the current seventh grade class as my "experts." They are the first class to have participated in the program as both the "big" and the "little" kids. I surveyed the three seventh grade and three eighth grade classes to determine their opinion of the program. One of the questions: "Tell me what you remember about having a reading buddy when you were in first grade." I received some terrific responses.
"We made puppets out of paper bags."
"I wanted to be just like her."
"I still have projects at home we did."
"My reading buddy was very nice and stuck up for me."
"I remember playing games and laughing with my reading buddy in the hallway."
"She taught me how to read better, and helped me on words I couldnŐt pronounce, and she was nice and patient."
Other questions asked, "How can being a reading buddy help students while they are in sixth grade?" and "Why did you like being a reading buddy?" The most common answers concerned having someone who looked up to them, being a mentor and feeling good about themselves. The students enjoyed the responsibility of participating in the learning of other students, and one student liked to see the steps you need to take to learn to read. They also recognized that it helped in their learning; giving them good listening skills, practice speaking in front of others, and help with vocabulary and pronunciation. One eighth grader who had not been here in sixth grade made this comment,
"I was not here in sixth grade so I don't know, but last year I saw the reading buddies and they looked like they were having fun and learning at the same time."
A final question I asked was, "How can being a reading buddy help students after sixth grade?" Again I was impressed at the thoughtful answers. We learn to work together, meet a lifelong friend, have better communication skills, get experience as a teacher, "benefited" in a first grader's education, become more patient, and gain parenting skills. One of my favorite replies,
"It helps them after sixth grade because they'll always know that it is possible to do something good for someone else."
Although my data isn't scientific or easily measured, I am satisfied with the survey results. The buddy program captures the spirit and enthusiasm of middle level students. It is a wonderful (and inexpensive) way to insure success for students. An adventure every Thursday? Definitely.
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