The reason the class spills into the halls for Bonding with Books is a lack of space, but for good reason. The students are joined by residents of Waterford Place, a nearby retirement community, who help them practice reading.
“It’s a little chaotic, but it’s worth it,” Kunnen said. “The seniors love coming. They love interacting with the students.”
Kunnen saw some students struggling with reading and wanted to not only encourage them but motivate them to continue reading. She coordinated to have residents from Waterford Place come to Vanguard for an hour and be assigned to a student to read and participate in warm-up activities such as Mad Libs, Would You Rather, or Bingo.
“That’s one of the biggest highlights and one of the biggest motivations – to help the students love reading time,” said Lesly Sis, Vanguard’s school ambassador. “Just showing them different ways of enjoying that reading time and bonding time with a family figure.”
“Bonding with Books” also gives students and seniors a chance to compare their school experiences. In a short period of time, the students and seniors have formed connections that have even surprised Kunnen.
“The biggest positive I see from both sides is the relationship building that is taking place,” she said. “A side effect that I didn’t intend was the residents from Waterford Place are actually benefitting more than the kids.”
Visiting Vanguard is something the Waterford residents look forward to, so much so that when a scheduled flu shot clinic fell on a Tuesday, they went into problem-solving mode. Missing their book buddies wasn’t an option, but they also wanted to make sure they received their shots.
The seniors called the pharmacy and stressed that promptness would be greatly appreciated that day. They even made sure to have a response holstered if a long line stood between them and seeing their friends at Vanguard: “If anyone gives us a hard time for cutting the line, we’ll just tell them we are the reading buddies and have to go.”
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About Vanguard Charter Academy
Vanguard Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Wyoming, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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