Teen finds rich rewards in peer-support reading program

Ballarat Grammar student Ruby Riordan praises The Smith Family’s student2student literacy program, in which children help other children.

Year 12 Ballarat Grammar boarding student Ruby Riordan took part in The Smith Family’s student2student program as a reading mentor last year. Picture: Chloe Smith

RUBY Riordan doesn’t count herself as a bookworm, yet reading has become one of her most rewarding pastimes.

The Year 12 Ballarat Grammar boarder took part in a literacy peer support program called student2student, in which she was a mentor for 18 weeks last year.

Run by children’s charity The Smith Family, and promoted by Ballarat Grammar, the program matches students who need to improve their reading with older peer buddies who help and encourage them by reading together online.

As a mentor, Ruby was matched with a 10-year-old buddy who attended a different school in rural Victoria, and the pair spent three afternoons a week enjoying books together.

“I had heard a girl in my boarding house had done it (student2student) and she talked about how rewarding it was,” said the 17-year-old, who has boarded at Ballarat Grammar since Year 9.

“Considering last year’s circumstances, it gave me something to do after school, and it ended up being really good.

“It genuinely made my day calling my buddy. Just watching her confidence transform and her skills improve so much.”

The student2student program is based on evidence that one of the best ways to support students who have reading difficulties is for help to come from others near their own age.

Ruby said her role was not to be a teacher, but just offer gentle help when her buddy ran into difficulty.

“I think that is why it is such a good program,” she said, “because it is peer to peer. When you want to try to promote something, it is better coming from a child than a teacher.

“And we didn’t just read – we chatted about our pets and our interests, and what we did during the day.”

Ballarat Grammar first participated in the student2student program in 2019, with 16 student mentors. Last year 25 students took part. They hope to entice even more to become involved this year, and Ruby said she would definitely encourage others.

Reading support isn’t the only community-service program on offer to boarders at the coeducational school in Ballarat. Ruby said she also loved helping with the Access All Abilities sports program that ran on campus at weekends for children with special needs and disabilities.

Ballarat Grammar’s boarding precinct can accommodate more than 200 students in Years 7-12.

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