Reading Buddies

The highlight of my Thursdays is Reading Buddies time. Each 5th grader is paired with a 1st grader and they sit around the room and read together. The 1st graders get to practice their fluency/reading and the 5th graders get to practice being good role models. Even though my class can be rowdy and very mobile in class, during reading buddies they are so engaged and take on personas that I don't get to see every day in the classroom. Today one of my shyer boys was reading a book with his buddy and they each took the roles of different characters and even had voices to go along with the characters! Another student read with great expression and clarity because he was excited about being able to read to his buddy without having the other 5th graders "judge" his reading ability. A third student who can sometimes be in her own world and not necessarily interact with her peers all that positively was so patient with her buddy. It is amazing to see how they transform when they are surrounded by a different audience. Seeing them doing something that they are enjoying is encouraging and brightens my day. It also gives the first grade teacher and myself a little break during our long Thursdays with no specials. :-)