High school students buddy up with Myers to promote reading
B-A freshmen are once again teaming with Myers students on a reading project to promote a love of literacy.
October 25, 2022
Flashback to a trip to NYC in 2017. Bellwood-Antis teachers Mr. Kerry Naylor and Mrs. Tara Naylor were having a small conversation about a possible collaboration between the high school and elementary school, which led to a discussion about the goals ofreading and how more motivating it would be to establish older kids as reading role models.
Mr. and Mrs. Naylor made the decision of taking a step forward and introducing the elementary students to the high school by partnering one older student to one elementary student for a reading partners project that continues to this day.
High school and elementary students have teamed up three times so far this year, most recently last week when the youngsters shared their writing work with their high school buddies. Myers students had written narratives that featured elements of narrative writing. They worked on their projects twice with their high school friends before creating a final copy.
Freshman, Aubrey Snyder says, “I think it’s a really good opportunity for the kids to learn more about writing.”
The freshman students also influence the younger kids by teaching them through their ups and downs and being patient with them.
“Creating the partnerships between the freshman and second graders has been very beneficial for all involved,” second grade teacher, Mrs. Martin states.
And the most significant part of this new introduction is the advantage of taking the opportunity to reach a new skill level.
Elementary students look up to the high schoolers as role models and admire them, so this activity provides an opportunity to be those role models. There’s nothing teachers adore more than seeing their students adjust easily to a new way of being taught, even if there are challenges that come around.
Overall, the advantage 0f getting out of lessons definitely motivates the high school students to go down and teach the elementary kids, but Mr. Naylor always makes sure that they keep in mind the real importance of this activity.
“When we first thought of this Tara and I set out goals for the project, and two big ones were to make lifelong readers who enjoy reading and to make adolescent readers the role models for young readers,” said Mr. Naylor. “Hopefully, it has made an impact..”
