Spotted on the Mini Boulevard: Lower School Buddies!

Time to check in on one of our favorite Speyer cross-grade experience: ourLower School Buddies! Each Speyer Kindergartener is paired with a Fourth Grade buddy (or buddies) for a fabulous year-long partnership. 

Twice a month, these buddies meet up, and one of those meet-ups is during Literacy time. Often, fourth graders choose a book to read to their buddy, allowing them to model fluent reading and reading comprehension skills. Kindergarteners also have a chance to read books and practice the reading skills they learn in class and during a recent publishing party, our kindergarteners shared their published personal narratives, reading their stories out loud to their Fourth Grade buddies. The other monthly meet-up happens during choice time, allowing the buddies to have some fun, creative playtime together. 

While these planned interactions are designed with intentionality and thought by the teachers, the spontaneous, impromptu encounters of our Lower School buddies are just as important — they are always so excited to see one another in the hallways, with lots of waving and hugging when their paths cross! Stay tuned for more updates about this important cross-grade partnership!