buddying up

On Tuesdays right after lunch, we head upstairs to Class 2i.  For a bit of buddying up.  You see, the big guys (all 6 and 7 years old of them) are our new friends.  Our reading friends. 

Yanis explains about how it works for him and his partner, ‘We share the reading; sometimes I read and sometimes he reads.’ 

Hiromi and her new friend have the same system.  ‘I like reading buddies.  She reads to me.  I read to her.  I like looking at the pictures',’ she adds.

Emily too shares the reading but not (so far at least!) the choosing.  ‘I like going to reading buddies.  He reads the books and I read sometimes.  I like it when he reads to me.  He always chooses the books,’ she explains, matter-of-fact.

‘I like reading buddies because I like the stories. I choose sometimes. She reads to me.’

Ella tells me she learns from her partner.  ‘I like reading to her because she tells me what things are.  She tells me what the words mean.  She reads to me.  I like that.  I choose the books.  I like fact books.’

Lakeisha prefers sharing fiction books with her friend.  ‘I like it when she is reading.  Sometimes I read.  She lets me choose the books.  My favourite are Dora books.’

Luna too enjoys our buddying up.  ‘I like reading buddies.  She reads to me.  I like her to read.  I just look at the pictures.  It is fun.’  That’s how it works for her and her partner.

Tim also likes going to Class 2i.  ‘I like reading buddies.  All times he reads.  He is the better reader than me.  He is called Daniel.  I like to read, but in Russian!’ he explains.

Yousouf and his partner have got it worked out.  ‘When I go to reading buddies I choose the book and I bring it to her to read and if it is too difficult we put it back and choose a new book.’  He adds, ‘I read to her and she reads to me.’

‘I normally look at him read so I watch because I like listening to him.  I like reading buddies…..

because it’s my favourite thing.’

Not everyone’s favourite thing of course, but seeing children from different year groups so engaged and so obviously enjoying the experience certainly makes it one of my favourite things!