Thank you for your interest in Virtual Reading Buddies!
The Reading Buddies Program offers free, one-on-one help with volunteers to children in grades 1-4 who are having difficulty reading by:
- Providing a safe and welcoming environment that inspires a love of reading
- Creating a positive relationship with a volunteer reading partner
- Motivating children to read and actively use library resources
- Introducing children to a variety of reading materials
Reading Buddies sessions are tailored to the interests and abilities of individual children. The program is not designed to duplicate what happens in school or formal tutoring, but rather create a more positive attitude towards reading and practice literacy skills.
Volunteers who work with the children are trained to encourage and motivate children through the use of interesting reading material (physical books and digital resources), games, crafts and activities that are literacy based.
Program Dates: This program will run for 10 consecutive sessions on Tuesday evenings in the Spring from April 26 to June 28th, 5-6pm on Zoom.
Weekly sessions include:
- All participants having their webcam on to actively engage with each other.
- 5:00-5:15pm: Group literacy-based game
- 5:15-5:45pm: Your child will be put into a Zoom breakout room with their volunteer buddy for one-on-one support: this can include literacy-based games, conversation, shared reading, and reading to each other. The breakout room will be monitored by library staff.
- 5:45-6:00pm: Group storytime led by library staff.
Parents are expected to:
- Provide their child with access to a device with a webcam (computer or tablet are best) and support their log-in and access to Zoom
- Support the goals of the program
- Monitor, but not necessarily participate, in the video chat
- Let library staff know in advance if the child is not able to attend the weekly session
- Provide their children access to both print and digital reading materials available from Oxford County Library