Reading Buddies

Every Friday means “Reading Buddies” for the Grade 2/3s and the JKs! Starting in Term 2, the kids visit their neighbouring classroom once per week, and share their time, their guidance, and their joy of reading with their buddy.

Reading Buddies offers the elder students the opportunity to practice lifelong skills in authentic ways. They learn leadership, patience, compassion, and problem-solving strategies while working with their younger buddies.

Our JKs get the benefit of learning through the upper grades as the older students model expected behaviour. The younger kids benefit from hearing the older kids’ fluency and they can begin to hear use of appropriate phrasing, cadence and intonation of a story.

Our JK Curriculum supports a love for reading and provides a social component through regular routines like learning circles. Between Reading Buddies and Circle Time, the children strengthen their receptive and expressive language skills, as well as enhance their pro-social skills, such as understanding each other’s point of view and turn taking.

The Remediation + System is the foremost component of our CGS Language Arts Program, yet Reading Buddies goes beyond academics. Our JKs observe their buddy demonstrating positive behaviour and valuable social and communication skills. They see their buddy remaining focused on the task of reading with them, and their kindness and patience with them.

We know that reading is necessary for learning, so instilling a love for reading is essential for our students. Thank you Grade 2s and Grade 3s for being such great role models!