Help from our little friends

Us kids were put into the buddy reading program to learn people skills. Not only did it teach us people skills, but the Grade 3s learned them as well.

It gave them a chance to open up and learn that people are out there for you and someone will always be there.

Growing up, children fear not having anyone there for them, but this gave them that opportunity for support.

Not all kids have a “perfect” home life. We do not all grow up in the same situations. Many parents work, and have no time to spend with their children, so kids don’t get the extra help they need if no one is around.

Working as a team to give them the help they need was the goal in this buddy-reading program. I think we accomplished that goal. Us kids worked with the students to give them a better education.

Honestly, it helped me with my people skills. I never really liked people. But for some reason, visiting the little ones was a must for me. They made me realize that I do only live once, and when I was that age I thought everything in my life was going to be easy.

Then I started to grow up and I went through so many things in life that were not easy.

I had my friends and family. If you have someone there by your side supporting you, you feel more confident and believe in yourself more.

We were those people for the little ones and helped them through their struggles. We were the friends helping them get through life. Everyone needs someone like that around, and this buddy-reading program gave the children at A.S Matheson the opportunity to have that.