Swalwell Primary School
Working together, learning together
Welcome
Reading Buddies
Our volunteer Reading Buddies needed to complete an application form to say which qualities they thought they would bring to the role. They then all participated in a training session led by Mrs Leaver, which focused on the skills and strategies the children are learning as early readers. The Reading Buddies then support their buddy in reading sessions and help them to understand the text as well as simply reading the words. The Reading Buddies meet regularly with Mrs Leaver to discuss their support.
The volunteers are paired with individual pupils and they work together over the course of a term. Three times a week, our volunteer Big Buddies pair up with their Little Buddy students to read together for 10 - 15 minutes. The Big Buddy’s job is to be a coach and role model whose love of books is contagious — and maybe even life-changing — for the Little Buddy. They listen to the children’s reading and talk to them about the text. We aim for both Big Buddies and Little Buddies to gain confidence, boost reading skills, and increase their fluency and comprehension.