My students each need their own stuffed animal that will be their "reading buddy" for the year. They will read with their buddy daily and will develop an excitement and confidence for reading.
We are wild about learning to read! I teach first grade in a low-income, rural area in Washington. This year is going to be a tough year for us in terms of money. We have had to cut back in many areas due to lack of funding and will now, more than ever, have to count on the generosity of others.
One of the most important focuses of first grade, is learning to read. This can be an overwhelming venture for these young students who arrive in my classroom in a vast array of readiness. Students need to read a lot and many of them lack the focus and confidence to do this easily. Studies show that students who read a lot each day become better readers. One person suggests, "It takes awhile to get lost in a good book". Getting lost in a good book is an important part of reading and students need to be given the opportunity during school for this to happen.
My students each need their own stuffed animal to act as their reading buddy for the year. Students each get to choose an animal from Build-a-Bear Workshop, give it a heart, and fill it with a wish for a love of reading. Students are told that it is their responsibility to help their "reading buddy" learn to read. These animals transform the reading process and take away the hesitation in learning to read. Students take on the responsibility of teaching their animal to read and in the process, learn to read themselves, almost without realizing it. Having the stuffed animal also allows them to sit for a much longer period of silent reading as they quietly read book after book to their new buddy. We then use these stuffed animals throughout the curriculum, writing about them, researching things about the different animals, and even having monthly reading parties, such as a reading buddy picnic.
You can make a difference for these students today! Giving to this project will allow these students to bring their reading buddy to life and will help build a new generation with a life-long love of reading. Students love their reading buddies immensely and take them home with them at the end of the year to continue reading to. I have been able to do this project for the past two years and have had third graders come and tell me they still read with their reading buddy at home. This is definitely a project that inspires students to love to read at an early age!
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