Gabriella and Lilyama: The Best Reading Buddies

Gabriella is a happy nine-year-old girl in Mrs. Tierney’s third-grade class. She loves her classroom because it is full of colorful posters and many interesting books. Mrs. Tierney, who has brown hair and a kind smile, tells the class they have a special job today.

The third graders are going to be reading buddies for the first-grade students. Gabriella feels very excited because she loves to help others learn. She packs her favorite book about a brave cat and gets ready to walk down the hallway.

In Mrs. Broyles’ classroom, a six-year-old girl named Lilyama is waiting patiently. Mrs. Broyles has brown hair and welcomes the older students with a big wave. Gabriella walks over to Lilyama and gives her a friendly smile.

Gabriella and Lilyama walk together to the school library to find a quiet place to sit. They find a soft blue rug near a big window where the sun shines through. Lilyama holds a small book tightly in her hands and looks a little bit shy.

Gabriella sits down next to Lilyama and introduces herself with a warm voice. She tells Lilyama that reading is like going on a secret adventure. Lilyama starts to smile and opens her book to the very first page.

Lilyama starts to read out loud, but she stops when she sees a very long word. She looks at Gabriella for help because the word looks a bit scary. Gabriella points to the letters and tells her to take a deep breath.

Gabriella shows Lilyama how to break the big word into small, easy parts. They sound out the letters together until Lilyama says the whole word correctly. Lilyama claps her hands because she is so proud of herself.

They spend the afternoon looking at the bright pictures of dragons and castles in their books. Gabriella asks Lilyama questions about the story to make sure she understands the fun parts. They laugh together when the dragon in the book makes a silly face.

Mrs. Tierney and Mrs. Broyles stand by the door and watch their students working so well together. Both teachers are very happy to see the older girl helping the younger girl. It is a very special day for everyone in the school.

When it is time to go back to class, Gabriella and Lilyama give each other a big high five. They promise to meet again next week for more reading adventures. Gabriella feels like a great leader, and Lilyama feels like a great reader.