Reading Buddies

As the original first grade "Little Buddies" graduate, a 12-year legacy of cross-divisional friendship comes full circle

By Tim O'Bryhim

Originally published in GSB Magazine - Summer 2026

In Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie, the main characters couldn’t be more different. Gerald, the elephant, towers over Piggie. They have opposite personalities, yet these two anthropomorphic animals are the best of friends – navigating life’s problems together while sharing the range of emotions that come with each challenge.

“Looking back now, that could have been a cute representation of me and Olivia,” said Ariana Isusi ’27.

Eleven years ago, a pint-sized version of Isusi partnered with then-Upper School student Olivia “Liv” Wilson ’17 as part of a new cross-divisional program. It aimed to pair first graders with high school students to promote increased literacy and relationship building across age groups.

Reading Buddies is a program inspired by the PBS animated TV show Martha Speaks. Kristen Armstrong, then an English teacher for international students, first heard about it a year earlier when a colleague returned from a professional conference with information about the program. The spark was lit, and Armstrong was all-in.

“It was a way to have our students who were learning English practice their speaking skills in a low-pressure environment. We did it two different times that year, and it was a big success,” Armstrong said. “So that following year when I took on the role of librarian, we decided to expand it to a larger club.”

The Martha Speaks series provided a curriculum to go along with the program. It had 10 sessions, each with a structured introduction. The buddies would read the book together, participate in a coloring activity, and complete a Reading Buddies journal. Two first-grade classes participated in the inaugural cohort, spring of 2015.

Armstrong closely followed the formal framework provided at first, but it evolved over time. What didn’t change was the Little Buddies’ enthusiasm for the program. Near the beginning of that first year, Armstrong remembers one Little Buddy going to her mother and insisting she needed a cell phone.

Mom: “You’re in first grade, you aren’t getting a cell phone.”

First Grader: “Well, how else am I going to stay in touch with my buddy?”

“So, in just two sessions they were able to form real connections,” Armstrong said.

Isusi, now in the 11th grade and one of the Upper School Reading Buddies leaders, remembers her entire first grade class looked forward to the program. She loved every book and every activity. But the best part was having an older girl like Olivia Wilson to connect with.

“‘I can’t wait to be big. I can’t wait to be just like her,’” she remembers thinking at the time.

Armstrong knew that she needed to build social capital to get buy-in from the high schoolers. Teaching the ninth grade seminar class and the English class for international students helped her build rapport, but forming connections outside of class would fully tap into the spirit of GSB. Coaching girls’ soccer and moving to the library position did just that.

“I loved Kristen [Armstrong], and I was a library kid. I spent all my free time in the library with my friends,” Wilson said.

In the fall of 2015, her junior year, she took the plunge and joined as a Big Buddy. “I remember thinking that it was so cute seeing all the little first graders.”

Wilson was not a “lifer” like some of the other Upper School students – she had not experienced the GSB Lower or Middle Schools as a student. Now she had her chance.

“It was a nice opportunity to immerse myself,” she said.

On their first day as Reading Buddies, Isusi and Wilson’s bond was immediate.

“I am a very bubbly, outgoing personality myself… I remember her being very excited… Ariana was just a ball of energy and excited to get going. I remember clicking with her off the bat,” Wilson said.

That first year, when Armstrong witnessed the interactions between the Little and Big Buddies, she knew the program needed to become a permanent fixture at GSB.

“Seeing high school students connect in a genuine way with first graders made me think ‘we are onto something here,’” Armstrong said.

Today, Wilson is working towards a master’s degree in teaching at the University of Toronto – Reading Buddies pushed her in that direction.

The program endured, instilling Reading Buddy experiences for Lower and Upper School students over a 12-year period. Around 24 to 30 Little Buddies participate annually. Earlier this year, roughly 100 upper schoolers signed up at the activities fair. Although the final list settled to something more manageable.

“Some sign up because there is candy on the table, some because their friends do it and some don’t realize what their schedule is like,” Armstrong said.

But every year, a core group of Upper School students dedicate themselves to participating regularly and building a bond with a Little Buddy. Armstrong finds the program serves not just as a break from classes during a school day – which has value in and of itself – but also allows students to reconnect with their younger selves. They get to revisit picture books they once loved. They may even run into teachers from their Lower School days.

Armstrong makes sure to prepare the Upper School students for their duties by providing a 30-minute training session about how to interact with and draw out their Little Buddies.

The training session covers the basics: don’t read too quickly or in a monotone voice; make sure you show your Little Buddy the pictures; and don’t race through the book.

“Some Little Buddies will talk your ear off, and some will be more reticent. How do you engage them? What kind of questions can you ask them?” Armstrong said.

The 25-minute-long meetings are once a month on Wednesday during the mid-morning break. The Upper School students meet in the library, where Armstrong hands out sticky notes so everyone knows who their Little Buddy will be that day. This year, the majority of Little Buddies stayed with the same Big Buddy, building their relationship all year long. But there are always temporary buddies available so that no one is left solo.

Many people can imagine, or maybe have experienced, knucklehead behavior from a 16- or 17-year-old. Armstrong said that some of the most challenging high school students are the most amazing Big Buddies.

“It gives them a place to show their human side, which is always helpful for me as a teacher… someone is being kind of a challenge, but oh my gosh, he’s being such a great Reading Buddy. It helps me to think about that when they are asking to hacky sack in the library,” Armstrong said, laughing.

Reading Buddies attracts volunteers with a wide range of backgrounds and interests.

Armstrong’s daughter Syd Armstrong ’29, a ninth grader at GSB, experienced Reading Buddies as a Little. But she hesitated when her mom asked whether she wanted to be a Big Buddy this year. Having dyslexia sometimes made Syd hesitant to read aloud in class. But when a Big Buddy canceled at the last minute during the first session, Armstrong implored her to help out.

“She did and got partnered up with this little boy named Emmett ’38, and they had such a great time. Now, when I send the email, she’s literally the first person to respond every time. They’ve created a nice relationship, and it has improved her confidence,” Armstrong said.

Jackson Collins ’27, a soccer player and deeply engaged student on campus, has made a significant impact on the reading confidence of first grader Mason ’37. Despite his very busy schedule with activities, clubs, and soccer, Collins makes time for Mason.

“I’ll say, ‘Hey Jackson, Reading Buddies is this week.’ Sometimes he’ll hesitate and say, ‘Ooh, I have a test.’ But literally every time, he says, ‘but you know what, I’m going to be there,’” Armstrong said.

Armstrong believes the program serves an important purpose for kids who no longer like to read.

“For the kids in high school who say, ‘I hate reading,’ it reminds them they used to enjoy reading. Whether it was a picture book or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I hope it is something that reminds high school students of a love of reading that has been buried over the years,” Armstrong said.

Graedy Jacobson ’26, one of the original first grade Little Buddies, cherishes those moments now that he’s preparing to graduate. “Everybody was really excited about it. It was a fun thing to be in first grade and hang out with high schoolers,” he said.

Isusi echoed that excitement. “At Gill, excellence is celebrated. I think everyone loves the program. Every single type of student does it, and they all build meaningful connections,” she said.

When she had the opportunity to become a Big Buddy in ninth grade, she enthusiastically made that leap. Little Buddies eventually transforming into a Big Buddy is a testament to the strength and joy of the program.

For two years Isusi had the same Little Buddy: Jackie ’36. But this year she wanted to do more. So, she asked Armstrong if she could take on more of a leadership role. Armstrong’s answer was an unqualified “yes.”

The enthusiasm of a young Isusi has transformed from the excitement of a little girl to connect with a mentor, to the excitement of a young woman seeking to pass on that experience to a new generation of little girls. Though the development of reading skills is an important component, for Isusi, 90% of Reading Buddies is about the relationship.

“We do read the books, but a lot of time we’re just laughing about what’s happening in the books… I think the book is a great way to have something to talk about. It’s about building the connection,” Isusi said.

The program is 12 years strong, continuing to evolve with no sign of slowing down. Little Buddies and Big Buddies will continue to learn about friendship and life together… just like a certain elephant and piggie.

Read more from the Summer 2026 edition of GSB Magazine