Young students Mercy and Destiny enjoy the chance to improve their reading skills at Reading Buddies, with help from House of Friendship staff Haley Kavelman.
Learning to read was never this much fun at school.
Every week, children drop into Courtland Shelley Community Centre as part of Reading Buddies – a program designed to help them improve their literacy.
But for the kids themselves, it’s all about the fun.
First up, a video, where “Chris the Word Wiz” shares a few key pointers on how to recognize a “closed” or “open” syllable. (In case you have forgotten your middle-school language lessons: Open syllables end in a vowel, while closed syllables end with a consonant).
Then, the children work through worksheets, practicing the lesson they just learned. And even though they just had a full day of school before joining the group, all of them were eager to show just how much they learned.
“It’s fun,” said Devon, 8. “I like the activities and the worksheets. I like to learn.”
For Haley Kavelman, a Neighbourhood Program Leader at House of Friendship, Reading Buddies is a chance to make a difference in the lives of young students living in a low-income community – students who might not otherwise get the help they need.
“We try to support them on what they need to focus on, and help them in their weak areas,” said Haley. “They are all at different reading levels, so we try to work with them where they are at.
“It’s so fun to see them actually excited to come here and learn, and we see successes week after week. I love seeing those little moments where they get it – they’ve learned something new.”
When you support Neighbourhoods programs, you are making these “little moments” possible, helping students grasp the concepts they need to succeed in school – and in their future.
As in any Neighbourhoods program, snacks are provided. Knowing that some children might not have much food at home makes this an essential part of the program.
And fun and games are woven in throughout – a deck of cards turns a matching game into a chance to show how much of the lesson has sunk in, with children sharing whether a word in the match has an open or closed syllable.
If there’s time, they get to end the time together with a book.
“I like the reading,” said Desiree, another student in the program. “I like to come here.”
Your faithful generosity ensures that children in Waterloo Region get the chance they need to succeed, despite the barriers in their way. Thank you!
