Reading Buddies Launch

 At West Hill we value reading and do all we can to develop our pupils’ reading ability and foster a love for books.

This week we participated in Reading Buddies. This is where two or more children read together - older students read with younger students.

There are many benefits to a Reading Buddy session:

1)    It can help model good reading. As with any skill, reading needs to be practiced on a regular basis, and with this practice as well as modelling, pupils can improve their skills.

2)   Reading Buddies allows older pupils the opportunity to develop fluency as well as a sense of pride in their accomplishments. In addition, they often come to see the value of reading. Pupils not only promote good practices but gain self-esteem. Repeatedly reading easier books has been shown to improve reading abilities in readers, and Reading Buddies provides pupils with a reason to read easier books.

3)   Reading to younger pupils can help them develop a love of reading and a greater motivation to read.

4)   Younger pupils also read to their older buddies, as this allows younger readers to feel a sense of accomplishment while they build fluency.

Buddy visits will be ongoing throughout the year, so older and younger pupils will become familiar with one another and nurture a mutual interest in reading.