We volunteer as reading buddies with elementary students

Reading Buddies is a program recently started in our school that gives eighth-graders the opportunity to go to the elementary schools in our district and read to the younger kids.

Reading Buddies is a great program for schools to start because it counts as community service. In our school, during your A-block or free period, you can take a bus to the elementary schools and read to the younger students.

When I went to the elementary school with some other eighth-graders for Reading Buddies, we split into two groups and went into two different first-grade classrooms. When we walked into the first-grade class, all the eighth-graders picked out a first-grader to read a book to.

Most of the first-graders had already chosen a picture book that they wanted us to read to them. After we read the picture books to the students, we were able to answer a couple of easy questions about the book with them and draw a picture of their favorite page in the book. We even had extra time, so we were able to read them another picture book.

Reading Buddies is an amazing way to have fun and also serve your community.