Reading Buddies

Hannah Khan

The Reading Buddies ECA has certainly been a highlight of my school year.

Being an avid reader and choosing to take English Literate as one of my Higher Level IB Diploma subjects, I was excited to find out who my buddy would be, and have the opportunity to help guide the younger students. Once paired, we were quick to introduce ourselves and start looking for a new book to tackle together. On understanding that she enjoyed the thrill of a murder mystery themed novel, we went straight towards the Agatha Christie selection within the library, as I fondly remember enjoying this series when I was younger.

This ECA provides a fantastic opportunity to really build a rapport, provide encouragement, guidance, and support to help an individual student with their confidence in reading aloud and broadening their vocabulary, with English often being a second language for them. It was lovely to witness my buddy’s growth in confidence and enjoyment as their reading skills improved month on month.

Beyond academic benefits, this ECA is an excellent vehicle for fostering a deep sense of community across the school as students in senior grades help guide those junior grades, building meaningful relationships. I for one really enjoyed spending time with younger students, we often laughed together whilst discussing characters and events in the novel and immersing ourselves in the story line making every twist and turn a moment of literary excitement. I can whole heartedly say that the Reading Buddies ECA has been a mutually enriching experience.