Why are these 1st graders hugging their Reading Anthologies?
Why do they have those big smiles on their faces?
Where is everybody going?
Why is there a big grocery cart full of books in the 1st Grade Commons?
Why are all of these people reading?
It must be Thursday morning, Book Buddies Day!
We are very fortunate to have a wonderful group of adult volunteers who come to school every Thursday morning to read with first graders. Some are senior citizens, some are 1st grade parents, and some are community members who just love helping kids. Each class has an assigned time, so the volunteers read for 20 minutes with four different groups of children in about an hour and a half. They are amazed at the progress these little readers make during the course of each year! The kids really look forward to Thursdays!
The Book Buddies program was launched over 10 years ago, and it was the brainchild of our former principal, Neil Koven. He felt very strongly that every child should have a chance to read with a special adult every week, and who better to listen to kids read than senior citizens and parents? He contacted our local Shepherd's Center, and they came up with a core group of seniors who agreed to come to school every week. He also recruited parents of 1st graders. The program benefits both children and adults, and it has continued ever since, even though Mr. Koven is no longer our principal. We usually have 10 to 12 volunteers each week (although the numbers go down somewhat during the winter when people take off for warmer climates), and many return year after year. Helping children learn to read is an amazing process, and it truly "takes a village!"
The 1st graders read to the adults,
and the adults listen and offer assistance.
The kids learn to be polite, take turns, listen to others, and read more fluently.
It's really special when a child has his grandma as his book buddy. We've even had some great grandmas as volunteers! How cool is that?
The book buddies also take time to chat with the kids, and learn a little about their likes, dislikes, families, friends, etc.
Since we read several stories each week in the classroom, there are always plenty of new stories to share.
After the kids practice reading, the book buddies take their turn and share books from that big blue shopping cart with the kids. Our school librarian rotates the books on a monthly basis, and she stocks the cart with books that go along with the current Language Arts theme.
It's fun to listen to a good story, too!
As the year progresses and the kids become more capable readers, they may help out by reading a page or two from the library books, as well.
So many good books, so little time! It's hard to quit after just 20 minutes, but next Thursday will be here before we know it. It's hard to say who benefits more from this wonderful program, the kids or the adults.
Reading is so much fun!
Thanks, volunteers!
Excited smiles!
Are we there yet?
Thanks to Tammy, who came along as a chaperone.
When we finally got seated, we had about 10 minutes to wait until showtime. We were in the balcony this year, so we could see eveything really well.
The Sheldon is a very old theater, and it has lots of interesting nooks and crannies. This painting is right above the stage.
We had read several SkippyJonJones book in the classroom before the play, so the kids were well prepared for what was to come.
It was hard to wait!
Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures during the performance, but it was very well done, and it kept the children's attention throughout. With Red Wing so close, we were able to be back at school in time for lunch. What a GREAT way to spend a morning!. 
