Reading Buddies at JCDSRI:
Building Community Through Literacy, Leadership, and Love of Learning
At JCDSRI, our Reading Buddies program is a cherished and intentional part of school life, designed to build community, strengthen literacy, and promote leadership through meaningful cross-grade relationships. Each year, we thoughtfully pair students across grade levels, such as kindergarten and fifth grade, rotating partnerships annually so that every child experiences being both a younger and older buddy during their time at JCDSRI.
Rooted in our school’s core values of kavod (respect), hesed (kindness), and kehillah (community), and grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) principles, the program supports the whole child. Reading Buddies meet at least three times a month during Yahadut (Judaic Studies) or General Studies time, with a flexible schedule coordinated by teachers.
Sessions include shared reading, book discussions, drawing or writing in response to texts, or co-creating simple books, always with multiple means of engagement and expression to honor students’ diverse strengths and needs.
Prior to meeting, teachers collaborate to establish clear expectations and goals that are developmentally appropriate and SEL-informed. Older students are prepared for their leadership role through discussions that draw on Yardsticks and Responsive Classroom techniques, helping them understand what is developmentally typical for younger children and how to offer guidance with empathy and patience.
These conversations are opportunities to reflect on what it means to be a leader in our Jewish learning community and how to model respectful, inclusive behavior.
We emphasize reflective practices and role-play to prepare fifth graders to respond thoughtfully to their buddies’ needs, reinforcing the habits of compassion and responsibility. The program is more than an academic activity; it is a relationship-building endeavor that fosters a strong sense of belonging, confidence, and joy in learning.
Through Reading Buddies, older students become role models and mentors, while younger students gain trusted friends and increased motivation to engage with books and storytelling. This initiative embodies our belief that learning happens best in a connected, caring community where every student is both a learner and a teacher.