Monte Sano Elementary School
Book Buddies
Huntsville City Schools
Principal: Mr. Clifford Porter
Superintendent: Dr. Clarence Sutton
Monte Sano Elementary School’s Book Buddies program was a service-learning initiative designed to engage GATE students in a semester-long, concept-based literacy unit. Throughout the program, participants explored literary analysis, studied various authors, and examined different genres and writing styles. A key feature of the program was the pairing of each GATE student with a younger, high-achieving reader in kindergarten or first grade. Each week, for thirty minutes, the older “book buddy” read to their younger partner, modeling strong reading habits and exposing them to a wide range of literature. To further personalize the experience, older students conducted interviews to learn about their buddies’ interests, using this information to create original stories in which the younger students became the main characters. During the 2023-24 school year, Book Buddies had a measurable impact on student literacy. According to iReady assessments, 85% of first graders (35 out of 41 students) met or exceeded one year’s growth in reading. Among the older participants, 79% of fourth-grade GATE students (11 out of 14) achieved a level 4 on the ELA subtest of ACAP. The program concluded with each GATE student writing and illustrating a book, complete with handmade covers crafted from recycled materials. These books were presented as gifts, reinforcing the program’s impact on literacy, mentorship, creativity, and problem-solving while fostering meaningful cross-grade relationships.
