SENIORS BUDDY UP WITH JUNIORS FOR READING 2019 brought a very exciting initiative to the Junior School, the MacqLit program, and with it an opportunity for Hamilton students to buddy with Senior students, in order to enhance their reading skills. An essential part of the MacqLit program’s success is regular, daily, reinforced reading with a reading tutor using the ‘Pause, Prompt and Praise’ method. In our busy lives it is not always possible for parents and family members to find time to read with their daughter every day. Senior school students doing their Service component of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards participated in reading sessions with Hamilton students for thirty minutes twice a week. Students gathered in the JS library during lunch and after school for reinforced reading sessions with their buddies.
"The opportunity to help with this reading program for Duke of Edinburgh students has been beneficial for both myself and the student I help. I feel very privileged to be in this position where I can assist a younger student. I feel that the MacqLit program helps gain reading skills and improved confidence for the Junior girls. I believe working one on one with a Hamilton girl encourages her to reach out of her comfort zone. She is more willing to take risks and give something a go when it is just the two of us working together. I am very thankful to have this opportunity to complete my Duke of Edinburgh Service hours whilst helping a younger PLC student."
The Senior students had the responsibility of viewing a training video and ensuring they used the Pause, Prompt and Praise method. They took a 100 word count to ensure their students were reading text at an appropriate level and checked their understanding by asking them to summarise what that had read. Explaining new vocabulary, asking relevant comprehension questions and sharing their reading habits, together made their sessions lively and enjoyable.
Claudia Mortensen, Year 9 Ms Renate Cross Literacy Learning Enrichment Teacher Assistant Head of Learning Enrichment Junior School
For some Senior students it is not just a service experience to assist a younger student with her reading. Katia Natsasi, Year 11, sees it as so much more: "For my Gold Duke of Ed, I read with a student in Year 6. While I love to hear the improvement of the girl’s fluency and see her approach to reading change, I feel as though it is more substantial than that. My favourite part of this process is to see the growth in her confidence and character from the first lesson at the beginning of the year. I am humbled to have the ability to share my knowledge with the student whilst simultaneously learning from her."
Two sisters, Georgie and Claudia Mortensen, both involved in the program share their experience on the MacqLit Reinforced reading: "My name is Georgie and I have been doing MacqLit since the start of the year. I have enjoyed it so much because I know it helps me. I think it is a great opportunity for all PLC girls because I am reading so much more and I feel more confident. As part of MacqLit I get to work with my reading tutor, Anais Lowe who is in Year 10 and she has helped me the whole time I’ve been doing the program. I feel very grateful to work with her every Tuesday and Thursday. Anais makes me feel very comfortable and she speaks to me in a positive way that makes me want to try harder. She helps me without giving me the answer and I love it when she’s proud of me for getting hard words correct when I’m reading. I have learnt how to sound out words and give things a go that would have scared me before." Georgie Mortensen, Year 4 ISSUE 10 / SUMMER 2019
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