Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 19/05) - The reading buddies for Grade 1 students at Weledeh Catholic school have a secret - they love coming to visit the kids as much as the youngsters love having them.

"One of the things that happens is the adult gets as much out of it as the child," said Garth Wallbridge.

Wallbridge has been volunteering half an hour out of his week for the Rotary Club's Kids Ahead reading program for seven of its eight years.

A voracious reader himself, he loves the bonds he makes with a new student each year.

"When you step into the classroom, they are always happy to see you," Wallbridge says.

This year he'll have to keep up with the reading habits of his new buddy, Ronnie Wright, 7. The Grade 1 student loves books about space, but said he'll read anything.

"I like reading and after you read, you can play games," said Wright between cookies at the Oct. 17 kick-off for this year's program.

At the next table, Anna Paquin and Nare Asatryan got to know their buddies for the year.

Asatryan, 6, wants to play with her buddy sometimes instead of reading. Literacy games are on hand at the school's library for the half-hour sessions as well.

Paquin, also 6, says with an infectious grin that she plans to read to her adult buddy instead.

"We get to make crafts, me and my buddy," she says.

Asatryan's buddy is Kristal McKinley, an accountant in Yellowknife who said the program is one of the only ways she gets to hang out with kids.

"It's a good experience and you get to meet the children," she said.

This is her second year volunteering after a co-worker suggested it.

"I tried it and they are very cute," she said.

More than 45 Grade 1 students at Weledeh are part of this year's program, each with an adult or school age buddy of their own.

Grade 1 teachers Rose Jackson and Cathy James-Cutler have seen the program bring quiet students out of their shell and get others thrilled about reading.

"That one-on-one time, there's nothing more valuable than that," says James-Cutler.