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Norton students, seniors pair up in weekly "Reading Buddies" program
Summary
Teacher Sarah Lyons and a group of senior volunteers described a weekly "Reading Buddies" program that pairs first graders with older community members for reading, writing and intergenerational activities; volunteers said the hour benefits both students and participants.
About a dozen first graders and four longtime community volunteers described a weekly "Reading Buddies" program to the Norton School Committee on April 15, praising the intergenerational pairing as a small but meaningful boost to students' reading and writing skills.
"It's such a win-win for everybody," said Sarah Lyons, the teacher who runs the program, describing weekly sessions that include partnered reading, poetry in the garden, and student-created "how-to" pieces. Volunteers visit for roughly an hour each Wednesday, she said, and the program restarted after a COVID pause.
Volunteer "Grandpa Jim," who said he began the program five years ago, told the committee he grew the volunteer roster from six to about 25 and called the hour "the best hour of the week." "I just love being with these children," he added.
Other volunteers and students echoed that view. Paul Ruazi said the experience is "great for the kids" and helps develop writing and sentence skills, while a student named Cam said, "I LOVE reading buddies so much because they are kind, funny, generous, and joyful."
Committee members praised the program during the meeting and suggested future reunions or inviting former participants to events such as the senior walk. The group also took a photo to share with the Norton community.
The program was presented as a student spotlight near the start of the meeting; no formal action was required of the committee. Organizers said they hope to expand the initiative and are considering ways to reconnect past participants.
