Getting to buddy-up with fourth-graders not only makes my students feel like they are friends with 'big kids,' it also allows them to see and experience what the learning they are preparing for will look like for them. Amy Singer Pollack Senior Kindergarten Teacher
One of the benefits of the elementary school model at Chicago City Day School is that students can grow into true leaders and mentors on campus.
That process got underway recently for City Day fourth-graders, who visited the senior kindergarten room to share a writing project with the younger learners.
The fourth-graders had finished writing personal narratives — one of several writing projects they will complete this year. They walked down to the kindergarten room to read sections of these narratives to the younger students. Excitement was visible on their faces as they entered the room.
The fourth-graders paired up with kindergarten students and shared their work by reading sections aloud. The kindergartners then showed the older students some of their favorite books, and they looked at those together, as well.
Teachers of both grades said their students loved spending that time together.
"Getting to buddy-up with fourth-graders not only makes my students feel like they are friends with 'big kids,' it also allows them to see and experience what the learning they are preparing for will look like for them," said kindergarten teacher Amy Singer Pollack.
"My students were so excited to do this," said grade 4 teacher Kiersten Capasso, adding that the fourth-graders prepared for the activity by practicing reading out loud with expression and adopting strategies to keep the kindergartners engaged.
"This gave the fourth grade an opportunity to show their leadership skills," Mrs. Capasso said.
City Day offers students multiple opportunities to work with peers in different grades; it happens in the classroom, on the athletic field, and during after-school programs. These interactions benefit the younger students by giving them exemplars to emulate. The older students, meanwhile, experience the rewards and responsibilities of being role models — something that serves them well as they move on to high school.
"Thank you, fourth-graders, for sharing your amazing stories! The senior kindergarten students look up to you, and you all set a wonderful example," kindergarten teacher Kim Milano said.
See more images from the activity below.
- Interested in learning more about how students discover and grow at City Day? Attend an admissions event.
