2nd and 4th Grade Buddies

 At Goodrich, there are Kindergarten and 6th grade buddies, 1st and 5th grade buddies... but not until recent years have there been 2nd and 4th grade buddies! With the other groups, they benefit so much from having a buddy that is much older than them to be someone they can look up to. However, with 2nd and 4th grade, they are not too far apart in age. We weren't sure originally how it would go- but we are SO glad we started their buddy groups a few years ago!

By having students that are closer in age, we accomplish a few things. First, when working on academics, the material is usually helpful to both grade levels. It is new to the 2nd graders, but a good review for the 4th graders to boost their confidence. They're also a great matchup to become real friends. Having students that are close in age work together lends itself to creating friendships outside of the classroom, as well. 2nd and 4th grade are in the same recess, and we've already seen buddies choosing to play together!

We've only met one time so far, but we are off to a great start! 2nd and 4th grade meets about once a month, so we are looking forward to our next meetup.