May Edblog Challenge

Tuakana–teina
The concept of a tuakana–teina relationship

The tuakana–teina relationship, an integral part of traditional Māori society, provides a model for buddy systems. An older or more expert tuakana (brother, sister or cousin) helps and guides a younger or less expert teina (originally a younger sibling or cousin of the same gender). In a learning environment that recognises the value of ako, the tuakana–teina roles may be reversed at any time. (NZC - http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-guidelines/Teaching-and-learning-te-reo-Maori/Aspects-of-planning/The-concept-of-a-tuakana-teina-relationship)

This year my Y10 class has taken hold of this concept and we have become this for the Room 8 (y1/2) class.  For the first two terms, twice a week, my students go in and read aloud to the students.  They have free range from the library to choose a text they are comfortable with.  More often than not they come back really excited as they have found a text that they loved as a child.  They then read the text themselves before they go in, and after interval, they then read aloud to a group of these students.  This term the roster is somewhat more determined rather than volunteered, as it is my hunch that reading aloud to these students is going to support and improve the literacy of the Y10 students struggling with reading.  

Feedback from the Y1/2 teacher is that she is seeing a growing confidence in the students asking questions of the younger ones.  They are inviting them to be critical listeners, often without even realising it.  She is seeing a growing strength in their speaking and reading.  I am seeing students come back with a more positive mindset about reading.  "They loved it Miss."  "They didn't care that I made a mistake." "They asked ME questions."  "They wanted us to read another story to them."  For my readers who struggle to engage in a text or level of the text that school tells them 'should' be reading, this readaloud opportunity gives them a positive reading experience.  Now to do the teacher thing and figure out how to record some DATA about it.