Now that Reading Buddies has come to an end, I am realizing that reading with Atticus was usually the highlight of many weeks. Within this last month, Atticus has really stepped out of his comfort zone and has chosen books that were more difficult for him to read. He has really warmed up to me as well, running up to me the minute he gets to the library and wouldn't stop talking the entire time. He would even try to rush through making his name tag so that we could get to reading books.
Through this last month, Atticus finished writing and illustrating his book, and read it in front of the parents. He worked diligently on his book and was very proud with the outcome, as was I. I could tell he did not want Reading Buddies to end, because as he finished reading his book to the other reading buddies and the parents, he wanted me to read another book to him. That request proves how effective the program Reading Buddies is and how excited the kids get about reading. I also learned, the more the Big Buddy puts into the program, the more the Little Buddy cares about reading and participating each week.
When relating LING 1000 to Reading Buddies, I have found that the more effort you put into learning a language or the culture behind that language the more you will benefit in the long run. Same with Reading Buddies, the more the Big Buddy puts into the program and involves their kid, the more the Little Buddy gets out of it and learns the "language" of reading. Reading, for young kids, is like learning a new language; they have to recognize specific patterns of letters in words, silent letters in words, and how to pronounce those words.
Through this program, I have learned how to be patient with Atticus, how to involve him with reading and get him excited about learning new words. I have gained a lot of insights and great experiences through Reading Buddies and I hope to come back next semester, hopefully to have Atticus as my Little Buddy again!
