Every Tuesday, from April 21st to May 26th, I was lucky enough to have had a volunteer position as a Big Buddy for Calgary Public Library’s Reading Buddies program! This experience taught me a lot about patience and being a role model for my Little Buddy. I was able to use my love for reading to help those only getting the hang of reading and comprehension. What’s more, after each reading session, the weekly program would end with an easy arts & crafts activity that the children were able to take home! How cool is that?
If ever given the opportunity again, I would definitely help out with Reading Buddies! This was a special day out of the week that I constantly looked forward to because it was done out of passion and willingness to help. To know what a session in the Reading Buddies program was like, then keep on reading!
OVERVIEW:
According to Calgary Public Library, Reading Buddies “bring stories and reading to life for students in Grades 1 through 3! Reading Buddies volunteers share books and play fun literacy games with their “little buddy” in a group setting that’s facilitated by a staff member. Volunteers encourage children to read, and make reading fun! This is a youth volunteer opportunity for Grades 7-12.”
• PROGRAM GOALS:
Ensure a safe and friendly environment for young students to experience the magic of reading
Spark an interest in reading
Provide an opportunity for youth volunteers to develop mentoring skills
• VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES:
Attend an orientation and training session
Create a positive, fun and rewarding environment
Be a positive role model for participants
Attend each program in the volunteer term
• BENEFITS:
Meet new people and explore new opportunities
Have fun and contribute to your community
Develop: inter-personal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills
1. ARRIVING THERE:
Of the many CPL branches in the city, this particular Reading Buddies program was at Fish Creek Public Library. The inside of the building was very cool with its pyramid structure and creative wall art! I was pleasantly surprised that despite the crazy aesthetic of the library, the ambiance was quaint, but still welcoming. I love great first impressions!
After climbing a set of stairs, I would go to a small room in the corner of the second floor where the children’s programs are held. There, the Reading Buddies coordinator, Jill, would be putting books on display for the children to choose from. What made the book display even better was that each week would have a theme, which were the colors of the rainbow! After putting on my name tag, the other big buddies and I would wait for our little buddies to arrive. It was suggested that we stick with one buddy throughout the program to track their progress with certain levels of books.
2. GETTING STARTED:
From 4:30 to 4:45, my little buddy and I would talk about how our week went and read the book he or she had chosen. After that, the little and big buddies would gather in front of Jill for a group reading until 5:00. The book for the group reading would relate to that week’s theme! Jill would ask the kids to guess what they thought the theme was (red, orange, yellow, etc.) and what objects were those certain colors. This would get silly as the kids pointed out very specific objects in the room that were the color theme and everyone would get a good laugh out of this! After the group session and going over the rules of the library, it was yet again time to have a one-on-one reading with my little buddy!
3. THE READING PROCESS:
Now being able to venture out to the children’s area, my little buddy and I would go down a few aisles until she found a book appropriate for her reading level. After finding a quiet place to sit, I would ask her what she thought the book was going to be about. She preferred to read the book by herself with me guiding her through words she hadn’t seen before. We would sound out those difficult words and I would ask her to re-read the sentence it was in. I would occasionally ask my buddy what was happening in the book, how she thought the characters felt, and what she would have done in the characters’ situation.
In addition to reading the book my buddy chose, she would tell me stories that happened at school related to the book. I liked that she was able to tie real-life situations to the book because it made reading comprehension easier! When we met back with the other buddies at 5:30, it was time for arts & crafts!
4. SOUVENIRS:
Besides helping my buddy read, the arts & crafts part of the program was another favorite of mine because the projects were very creative! Relating again to the theme, the art projects were to make animals that were of that week’s color. For example, my buddy and I made a red ladybug and a purple octopus! Our little buddies, of course, got to keep the projects as a reminder of their time at Reading Buddies! At around 5:45, it was time to say goodbye to our buddies and clean up the area.
All in all, Reading Buddies was a fantastic program unlike any other! I was surrounded by energetic people who shared the same passion for reading as I did, and in return, we got nothing but beneficial experience. If you enjoy dedicating your time to others by doing something you love, I suggest volunteering for Reading Buddies or the many other programs brought to you by Calgary Public Library!
“Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real.” – Nora Ephron
Best wishes,
Kandace 🙂