Little Reading Buddies Application
PLEASE NOTE AS OF 12/13/2023 ALL CHILDREN WHO SIGN-UP MAY HAVE TO WAIT A WHILE BEFORE GETTING PAIRED.  WE ARE THRILLED ABOUT THE INTEREST BUT CURRENTLY HAVE QUITE A FEW MORE KIDS SIGNED UP THAN VOLUNTEERS.

Please fill out the following application to have your child paired with a teen Reading Buddy.  
Reading Buddies is a free program through Caldwell Public Library.  It pairs Caldwell Public Library teen library volunteers between the ages of 13-17 with Caldwell-West Caldwell students (as well as those from the surrounding area) in Grades K-5 who want to practice their reading skills. Each teen is paired with a little buddy to work one-on-one for a 30-60 minute session of reading and listening practice plus reading-related games.  

Availability is based on the number of teen Reading Buddy volunteers involved. Signing up does not guarantee your child will be paired in the program. For questions and additional information, contact Kristen at kchurchill@caldwellpl.org 

 You will be notified when a teen Reading Buddy is paired with your child. It is up to you and the volunteer to decide if the meetings will happen virtually or in-person.  


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Email *
Parent/Caregiver's First and Last Name *
City/Town (Program open to residents of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell and Essex Fells) *
Phone # *
Child's First and Last Name *
Child's Age *
Child's Grade *
SCHOOL YEAR
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Availability. Please list best days of the week and times below. This will help us pair your child with their reading buddy. *
Tell us a little bit about your child's interests, favorite books and anything else you'd like us to know about your child. This information helps the teen volunteer plan for their first session! *
Please Indicate whether you want meetings to happen in-person or virtually. Mark All That Apply. *
Required
Session Ranges:  
2023-2024 sessions run approximately mid-September to mid-December, mid-January to the end of May and then July-August.

I understand that session ranges are completely customizable and flexible based on the schedule needs of myself, my child, and their reading buddy.  I understand that my child's reading buddy volunteer may need to take other breaks because of extracurricular, school, sport commitments, and more. I further understand that it is up to myself, my child, and the teen volunteer to decide how long we continue working together in the program. We will inform the Youth Services Librarian if and when we decide to no longer continue in the program. 
 *
Required
Length of Session:   Reading Buddy meetings should occur for a max of 30-60 minutes once a week. If both the volunteer and parent of the Little Buddy agree to meet twice a week such is permissible provided the meetings last for no more than 30 minutes each session. Neither the volunteer nor the child should feel obligated or pressured to meet more than once a week though. Some pairs may choose to meet bi-weekly. *

Meeting Location: We highly encourage pairs to use the Caldwell Public Library's temporary space (24-D Smull Ave.) for their meetings. Our Unattended Children's Policy states that children under age 8 may not be left alone without the supervision of a parent or responsible adult. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your sessions. 

We also understand some pairs may need to meet outside our open hours. The Caldwell Public Library’s temporary space is open Monday and Friday from 10am-5pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10am-7pm and Saturdays 10am-2pm. An alternate location may be used if the meeting time falls outside these time frames. Alternate locations must be a neutral public space. Pairs May NOT meet at the home of the volunteer or child's family. Virtual sessions also remain an option regardless of time.  

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A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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