Eytan Messiah – Head of Visual Arts & Coordinator of Innovation 7-12

student2student Reading Program – The Smith Family

Back in Term 2 this year, a group of student volunteers attended a training session for The Smith Family’s student2student Reading Program.

Our dynamic group of 9 eager students are:  Sarah Manoy, Noa Wajsman, Liam Danon, Kira Rothschild, Joshua Ottaviano, Hannah Greengarten, Noah Klisser (returning for his second year in the program!), Jaime Keyser and Aron Harpaz

The reading gap in Primary School between the lowest socio-economic students (SES) and the highest SES is equivalent to almost 3 yrs of schooling. The student2student program works by matching students who need to improve their reading with peer buddies who help and encourage them with their reading. Peer support is central to the program’s success. Evidence indicates that one of the best ways to support students who have reading difficulties is for the help to come from others near their own age. Based on a detailed analysis of 1400 students, The Smith Family have found that:

• 94% of students improved their reading
• 84% of students agreed they read more having completed the program
• 84% of students agreed the program helped them feel more confident with school work
• 93% of parents reported children felt better about themselves
• 96% of parents report their child’s reading has improved

The s2s program is an opportunity to help others with reading, it is an opportunity to help someone that needs more help in the reading department became more confident with reading and better at it. I loved listening to my reader read to me twice a week for 20 minutes and I love how I could hear she became more confident in that way. I would defiantly recommend this to other students because it makes a big difference in the readers lives, even if it doesn’t feel like it does. By Kira Rothschild

The s2s program was a 20 week program where twice or three times a week, we as buddy’s would go on a website called chatty kids with our allocated child. We would help them build up their reading skills throughout this program and give them the confidence they need to continue on reading once the program finished. This program was incredibly important and fulfilling as it both helped people in need from a young age and also provided us buddy’s with the knowledge that we were doing something good. My personal highlight was getting to know my reader throughout the weeks and the friendship we developed. Students should absolutely get involved, it is such a satisfying and insightful program and I would do it again in a heartbeat. By Jaime Keyser

The s2s program is a reading program to help kids who have trouble learning to read. It reignites a passion for reading and shows them that reading isn’t something to be afraid, which can be a life changing experience for the kids. Having high school students as buddies instead of adults gives the kids a mentor they can relate to, and also teaches the high school students how to teach – two birds with one stone. The highlight of my time participating in the s2s program was when my buddy easily read a word he had been having trouble with just a few days prior. It showed how he had grown during the program and really hammered home how much s2s can change them. Other students should definitely get involved, it is a great learning experience and just really fun in general. By Joshua Ottaviano