“It takes you into another world” is what a kindergartener at Washington Elementary said about reading. This anecdote reflects exactly the mindset surrounding reading that the BHS reading buddies aims to instill in young students: one of joy and curiosity. The reading buddies club meets once a week after school on Wednesdays at Washington Elementary with younger students, for roughly an hour. The main objective of reading buddies is to help the younger kids create a good relationship with reading, one that can be maintained throughout high school and hopefully the rest of their lives.
The president of the club, Lola Lechuk, a 12th grader in Academic Choice (AC), hopes the elementary schoolers gain a sense of enjoyment of reading rather than improving their grammar skills or reading comprehension. “Making them enjoy reading from when they're young, I think helps long lasting joy and excitement around reading.” Sadie Luce, a 12th grader in AC, added on by saying, “I think it's a really great way to show them that reading is fun. Reading doesn't just have to be boring and just purely educational.” In addition to the direct benefit of helping elementary school kids appreciate literature and enjoy reading, Lechuk notes the bond between different age groups fostered by reading buddies. Although BHS and Washington are close in proximity, the bond between students of each school is minimal at best; reading buddies helps tighten this bond. “It’s a really nice connection between Berkeley schools, like the younger kids and the high schoolers, which I feel sometimes feels a little disconnected.”
The elementary school kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from the club, though. According to Luce, she has learned many lessons from being a member of reading buddies. “Definitely, a lot of patience and understanding. It can be hard to keep some kids focused on the books, or just kind of finding a way to just sort of keep them engaged and still into it,” Luce said. Lelchuk also mentioned how fulfilling the club can be. “It's really rewarding when the same kids come back week to week, or year to year, and they remember you, and they feel really excited when they see you. That's just really, that's like, the most rewarding when they're excited about reading,” Lechuck said.
Reading buddies has more than just a wholesome mission; it is made accessible to anyone interested and provides unique learning experiences that high school students can’t get from Berkley High. In terms of students who she would recommend the club to, Lelchuk said, “Even if you're not particularly passionate about reading or kids, I think it's a really fun way to spend your afternoon and connect with others in Berkeley… it's an opportunity for high schoolers to sort of act as mentors to young students. And it's just a great opportunity to bond with people you might not usually connect with.”
Multiple kindergarteners at Washington Elementary expressed their love for the club and how they look forward to seeing their buddies every week, one saying, “we get to have so much fun,” and, “my favorite thing is that we get to read.” This love for reading in young kids is what the club strives to achieve with every Wednesday session, and is the core driving inspiration for reading buddies members.