Liberty Lake Library starts buddy reading program for K-4th with teenagers

The Liberty Lake Library is preparing to launch a Reading Buddy program at the end of the month that will match students in grades K-4 with local teenagers so they can explore reading.

The library is hoping to develop a program that will help students who are either struggling with their reading skills or looking for additional topics to explore, said Children’s Librarian Erin Smith. It will also give young students a chance to read with someone other than their parents, Smith said.

Using teenagers for the program seemed like a natural fit, Smith said. “We have had some great programs with our teens,” she said. “They’ve helped with the craft programs and the Harry Potter Halloween party.”

The teens seem eager to help, Smith said. “We actually have most of them lined up,” she said. “We could possibly use a few more.”

The Reading Buddy sessions will be held on the fourth Friday and Saturday of each month through March. There is still room for K-4 students to sign up and a waiting list will be started if necessary, Smith said. “We have quite a few that are signed up or should be signing up,” she said.

The Friday reading times at 4, 4:30, 5 and 5:30 p.m. are full, Smith said, but there are still some available slots at 1, 1:30, 2 and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. “It is filling up quickly,” she said.

Smith said she’s not surprised the program is filling up even though the first session isn’t for a month. “I think there’s a lot of need,” she said. “I think with COVID, some kids are behind. As a former reading specialist, I think people are interested in just that little extra support.”

The Reading Buddy program is not structured by the library, Smith said. It’s designed to meet the children where they are and help them find out what kind of books they like.

“It’s not one-size fits all,” she said. “There are so many reluctant readers out there and I think a lot of it is that they just haven’t been exposed to books that they like.”

Once children find a genre or topic that interests them, they’re much more likely to enjoy reading, Smith said.

When parents sign their children up for the program, they are asked to answer a few questions about their children in order to help their reading buddies find books that the children might be interested in, she said.

The three-month Reading Buddy program is a trial run, Smith said. If it’s successful, the program will likely continue and possibly expand to accommodate more children, she said.

Parents and teens interested in signing up for the program can visit libertylakewa.gov/685/Reading-Buddies.