Book Buddies pairs sixth-graders with New Horizons pre-kindergarten students for weekly Friday reading sessions that organizers said run through the school year to boost early literacy and social skills.

Program organizers said the pairing began informally and developed into a regular partnership between the schools. “Book Buddies originated just as a thought. We wanted to partner with New Horizons when we found out that we had a pre k center close to Central,” a program organizer said. The organizer described how older students — the program’s “bigs” — are assigned a younger classmate and meet each Friday during the school year.

The program’s backers said the sessions aim to build reading habits and social confidence in young children while giving older students a leadership role. “Basic reading is a huge foundation of everything that we do in school. We have to be able to read. And the more you do it, the better you become,” the program organizer said, adding that early exposure to books “is just gonna give them an opportunity to grow and expand and enhance their knowledge.”

A pre-kindergarten teacher described changes she has observed during visits. “At first, they they start out shy with each other, but my pre cares are not shy about asking questions, and they kind of pull the sixth graders out of their shell a little bit,” the teacher said, adding that some pre-K children have become more engaged during story time and more willing to answer questions.

Students who participate also described the program in simple terms. “I like coming and seeing Noah and just having time to come and visit him and all the other kids here,” one student said. When asked about book preferences, a child replied, “Poppy clouds.”

Organizers and teachers also highlighted social benefits beyond literacy, saying the cross‑age contacts help children interact with peers outside their usual classroom circles. “They’re going up to them and talking to them other than just staying in their classroom circle of friends,” a teacher said. Program advocates framed the partnership as part of a districtwide effort: “We need those partnerships between our buildings ... that we’re not just 1 school, that we’re LPS and we’re working together,” a program organizer said.

The presentation described the format (paired “bigs” and “littles,” weekly Friday visits, yearlong pairing) and teachers reported increased engagement and socialization; no formal school board action or funding details were discussed during the remarks.