Many of my students struggle with FLUENCY.
They can read the words accurately.
But sometimes they sound like robots.
Fast robots.
Slow robots.
or worst of all…
Bored robots.
So I tried a bunch of oral reading as a whole class.
And some partner work.
And we practiced and we practiced and we practiced.
I even monthly fluency tests, which helped many of them.
I made this fun fluency packet:
But then I wanted a more realistic way for these students to practice reading orally and developing their fluency. I wanted them to get into the stories, to read with different voices, and to express the emotion of the book.
And it just wasn’t working with their classmates.
They are “too cool” or they “feel funny” reading it dramatically to their peers.
And then it dawned on me…
We needed a different audience.
A younger audience.
…
So our Pre-school Reading Buddy Program was started!
Here’s how it works:
Each student was assigned a preschool buddy.
They met their buddies and filled in these questionnaires to help guide them as they chose books:
Then, twice a month my student peruse the “little kids” section of the library to find the book that is just right for their “buddy.” We practice the books in class and at home (each student has to practice to at least two people – parents, siblings, neighbors, etc.) and then we’re ready to read to our buddies!
The students LOVE to read to their buddies – it’s definitely their favorite days of the month. It’s so fun to see them sift through the books in the library, trying to find one that their buddy will especially enjoy.
This student loved our Bucket Filling project so much that she wanted to share the book with her preschool buddy!
This student just moved here from Brazil – but she jumped right on board for the Buddy program:
*Note: it’s an awesome experience for ELL or ESL students – builds their confidence and allows them to practice speaking English orally and fluently!
Each month the students update their Book Log to remember the books they’ve read to their buddies:
And last month we got a special treat…one of our “buddies” read to us!
It was so sweet to hear my students clap, cheer, and encourage him on!
Interested in TRYING Reading Buddies? Click here to download these forms for FREE:
