Want an easy way to determine buddies in your room? Arrange your kids in order from highest to lowest. Divide the list in half. Match the top 'high' student with the top 'middle' student and so on and so forth down your list. For example, if you have 20 kids in your room, match 1 and 11, 2 and 12, 3 and 13, etc.
Buddy reading with 1 book--student on the left reads the left page. The student on the right reads the right page.
Buddy reading positions--Buddies can sit right knee to left knee of their buddy while looking ahead. Buddies can sit right knee to left need with one student facing forward and one facing backward if there are 2 books.
Buddy reading styles: chorale reading, echo reading, repeating for expression, chunking phrases, looking for 'hard' words to chunk phonetically before starting to read.
Buddy questioning--Students can use question prompt cards to quiz each other about the books. Students must be able to prove their answer if it is challenged by their partner.
Buddy assessments--students can evaluate each other's behaviors (i.e. respect, responsibility, cooperation, etc.) and this can even be used as a center grade if the evaluation is set up like a rubric with points.
Great Buddy Reading tools: <sorry for the naked links....I did not want to use pics without permission!>
1. http://www.pflugervilleisd.net/curriculum/ela/grade4/documents/BUDDYRdg-Wtg.pdf
2. http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/PDF%20Files/Buddy%20Reading%20Planning.pdf
3. http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=K49B3A&sp=yes&
Enjoy!
