Bright Spot Reading Buddy Lily has had the summer off, just like the school children she works with. She’s been off-duty and spending her time with the rest of the Bridgvale Farm Setters out in the back field playing, racing around, and hunting on the wooded hillside – a favorite thing she does with her pal Annie.
Lily wasn’t a bit rusty, though, as she stepped right back into the role of Reading Buddy to the first and second graders at Westhampton Elementary School (WES) in Westhampton, Massachusetts. The children in second grade welcomed back their pal Lily. All of them had read many books to Lily as first graders last her. Lily met two new additions to the class. Something new for both of them to read to a dog! We had a chance to talk with the group as a whole. They had plenty of questions to ask Lily about her summer. Then off to the special library reading corner we headed where Lily settled in to listen to some great stories.
The first graders were meeting Lily for the first time. Tucker and Lilo, the Great Dane Reading Buddies, had listened to them read last year. The children were excited about reading to a new dog. They had seen Lily in the school hallway last year, so they knew what to except.
Lily arrived with her book bag filled with special books – all with dogs as the main characters. The children can read these books to Lily if they have extra time or forget to bring in their book from home. Lily also brought a special gift for each child – a bookmark with her picture on it. Each reader is given the special Lily bookmark after they have read to Lily. They get to take it home and use when they are reading lots of interesting books this year.