ST Joseph's Primary School Taree indigenous students have been helping the younger generation learn a vital skill which will last a lifetime.
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A group of St Joseph's students have been making weekly trips to Girrawong Preschool as part of the preschool's reading program.
Each Thursday morning they read to some of the youngest members of the Manning Valley's indigenous community, helping to introduce them to one of life's great pleasures.
Beth Callaughan is one of the St Joseph's students who gives her time to help develop the literacy skills of the next indigenous generation.
The year six student said it was "special" to help bring images and words to life for the preschoolers.
"It's exciting to see how they feel and how excited they get," she said.
"When we arrive on the bus they are all at the window waiting for us to come in.
"It's so satisfying because they get so excited when you come in and it's really nice."
The St Joseph's student council member not only reads to the young ones, but also focuses on combining imagery to help with their understanding of literacy.
"We read picture books and a lot of the time we look at the pictures with them and explain them, and they understand the whole thing a bit better," she said.
The Girrawong Preschool reading program has been running since last year and was the brainchild of St Joseph's Aboriginal education co-coordinator Tracy Saunders.
St Joseph's literacy teacher Fran Enilane accompanies the students on their weekly visits. Fran said the literacy program not only helped the preschoolers with their formative learning but also gave her school's indigenous students the chance to be leaders.
"The older Koori kids come every Thursday to be role models and promote the enjoyment of reading books," she said.
"And it's important because it's the relationship building with our local community between the school and preschool.
"And it's important to expose the students to a role model for reading and the enjoyment of reading.
"It's a good program because if they come to our primary school then they have that connection with the students."
St Joseph's Aboriginal education worker Naomi Paulson agreed it helped the preschoolers prepare for their first years of primary school.
"I think it's great and it's a good transition for kids coming into primary school, and it's a good experience for older kids to read to them," she said.
Director of Girrawong Preschool Sue Roberts said the program gave the chance for former students to give back to their school.
"A lot of them are former students so they have that family connection," she said.
"When you see them sharing stories together, it's special because they're not only reading the stories but it's also giving them confidence and working on their inter-personal skills,
"I love the fact the children are learning from each other."
St Joseph's will be holding an information session on Thursday for anyone interest in enrolling their pre-school children.