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Whiz Kids: Reuther Middle School Book Buddies Teach Reading Strategies to Elementary Students

Third-grade students at Brooklands benefit when Reuther sixth-graders teach them literacy strategies.

Each week, the Whiz Kid column spotlights an accomplishment of a student or student group. This week's Whiz Kids, the Reuther Book Buddies, worked together to help third graders improve their reading skills.

Reuther Book Buddies

School: , Rochester Hills

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Accomplishment: Five Reuther reading students commit one afternoon every other week to help teach literacy concepts to third graders. Sixth graders Lucas Carlson, Lauren Lauth, Ryan Maloney, Eric Sokoloski and Ashley Starr take the strategies that they learn in their own reading lab class and teach them to Mr. Leh’s third-grade students at .

“Not only do they actually learn the concept better themselves by teaching it to someone else, but it gives them a feeling of accomplishment and success," said Reuther principal Cheryl Gambaro. “We believe ‘success breeds success.’ "

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Key to awesomeness: The Book Buddies program was the idea of Amy Hoekstra, a third-year teacher at Reuther. Hoekstra combined concepts from several different programs she had encountered and noted that all of the programs ”highlighted the benefits to the students who were teaching the material.”

"How can I implement this with my sixth-grade reading students?" she asked herself. “I knew this would be a great way to motivate my reading students and give them some much-needed confidence.”   

The first strategy the Reuther students learned and taught was visualization. After the elementary students read an article describing foods from around the world, their sixth-grade buddies encouraged them to draw their visualizations in the margins of the article, which helps keep them engaged in the article and increases their comprehension.   

On other visits, the sixth-graders taught the third-graders to ask questions and make personal connections while they read.

“The Brooklands students have an opportunity to become familiar with literacy strategies that they will use again when they attend Reuther. This is a wonderful opportunity to be using common language and practices across the levels," Gambaro said.  

"So much of a student's ability to want to learn depends upon whether they believe that they can learn. This program helps to foster that feeling.”

The sixth-graders enjoy the project.

"When I'm there I get the opportunity to meet new people. I like that I get to teach the third-graders things that I didn't know when I was in third grade," said book buddy Lucas.

Do you know our next Whiz Kid?

Each week, Rochester Patch seeks suggestions from readers for individual  kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to writer Sally Anglim. Be sure to include all of the following information:

  • Nominator's name
  • Whiz Kid's name and age
  • Whiz Kid's school
  • Whiz Kid's accomplishment
  • Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

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