Students in Julia Peterson’s fourth grade class have been meeting weekly with students in Andrea Kelemen’s preschool class for “Book Buddies.”

A unique friendship is blooming between Fletcher Elementary School’s oldest and youngest learners.

Every week, for 30 minutes, the high-energy world of Julia Peterson’s fourth-grade classroom meets the curious world of Andrea Kelemen’s UPK students. Together, the classes have become “Book Buddies.”

“Andrea and I were talking one day and we thought it would be a good idea for our classes to get together weekly,” Peterson said.

While the program’s foundation is built on literacy, the bond has quickly grown to include writing sessions, storytelling, and even crafting friendship bracelets together.

“The fourth graders read books to the preschoolers, but we’ve also branched out,” Peterson said. “It is really a special relationship that we’ve been working on.”

The academic benefits of the program have been measurable for both age groups. While the preschoolers have been “increasing the length of their attention spans” while listening, the fourth graders have discovered a new sense of mastery over their own literacy.

“The fourth grade reading inflection has improved as they’ve read to the preschoolers,” Peterson said. “I’ve noticed better reading skills and more confidence in both their reading and writing skills.”

Bey Bond the classroom walls, the most impactful result of the “Book Buddies” has been the social-emotional growth of the students. By merging the two classes, the teachers have watched a true mentorship develop.

“They look for each other in the hallways and a true friendship bond is being formed,” Peterson shared. “They look forward to reading each week and seeing their book buddies. We hope this relationship will continue to grow in the years to come.”