Buddy Reading Ideas

Looking for ideas for your Buddy Reading rotation in your literacy rotations?

Before you do anything else, make sure you clearly define what it is YOU expect to happen in Buddy Reading. Next, discuss these expectations with your kiddos. Don't be surprised if they improve on your ideas. Mine did.
Every. Time.

Sit down with your kids and list these expectations. Make sure they are visible, plus put a copy in your Buddy basket or box.

Here's a shot of my daughter's expectations in her classroom. The students see them when they grab their supplies for Buddy reading.

Here's more of a close up.

I kept a few copies of the different I'll Read to You, You Read to Me books available for my buddies. Click on the Amazon Affiliate links below to get the books.

Joke books are also PERFECT for your buddy reading station. Who doesn't love a good Knock! Knock! joke?

I also kept a variety of funny glasses in my stations for kids to wear for a change of pace. Sometimes hiding behind the funny glasses encouraged the shy kiddos to read.

If the kiddos are still a little shy about reading to someone else, fill acrylic frames with pictures of popular characters from movies, TV, or books in your Buddy basket. Students choose one of the characters to be their buddy and read to it.

Don't forget to enter to win a $100.00 Amazon gift card. 

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Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter.  Giveaway ends TOMORROW and is open worldwide.

Woo to the Hoo! Classroom Library!

I've done all I can do on my classroom library for now and I'm pretty proud of it. I posted an earlier picture of my daughter labeling and leveling all of my books for me. Now they are all organized in baskets by author or topic. Each book has the Lexile level written on it and a label to match the label on the basket so it's easy to put the books up.

My new cool chairs are from Lowes. The kids are going to looooove them! And check out my new READ sign. It came in just in time for our first day on Monday.

The basket on the table holds materials for Buddy Reading. The sign lists options for the Buddy Reading Station. I have some of the You Read to Me, and I'll Read to You books in the basket, as well as lots of joke books (especially knock, knock jokes)!

I'm sooooo proud of my pirate lamp! I added pirate wall decals to a plain blue shade on my lamp from Target.

I also have task cards for Readers Response stored in baskets in the library. These are coded with different color stars so that I can differentiate for my students. They can then make their own choice from the appropriate cards.

Here is our new Listening Station. Last year we only listened to the stories on our basal in the Listening Station. I've added songs on CDs that correlate to our curriculum. There are various levels of task cards clipped to the station for the students' responses, as well as a notebook with other ways to respond for their choice. Again, I have these coded with different colored stars to help me with differentiation. I'd love to hear your ideas for Listening Station activities.