Lessons You Can Learn from a Second Grader

This weekend, I volunteered with Reading to Kids, which has quickly become one of my favorite service organizations in Los Angeles.

Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children to embrace books and independent reading. Every month, it recruits a couple hundred volunteers to read aloud to small groups of children and spend time with them playing games and making arts & crafts. On average, there are 590 kids and 318 volunteers who show up each session (across eight elementary schools). It is by far one of the most organized and efficient non-profits I’ve come across — but more than that, it is a wonderful community in itself.

My experience this past weekend was even better than the first few times I volunteered here. This Saturday, I was paired off with two of my friends (Diana & Kristi) to host seven adorable second graders.

We got a whole classroom to ourselves, Room 214. Racing up the stairs, the kids were eager to lead us to the room, and Christopher — the only boy in our group — proudly showed me how to turn on the lights.

Before getting into our assigned story, I suggested making some introductions. We went around the table sharing our names and spelling them out letter by letter. Within just the first few minutes, it became apparent that we had a very diverse group of personalities. Some kids were loud and outgoing, others more quiet and reserved. But each one had the same small, endearing smile that shyly tugged at their lips. To be honest, I haven’t seen smiles so pure like this in quite some time.

The story we were assigned was a charming book called “Ralph Tells a Story.” To encourage the kids to pay attention, I told them to raise their hands up and let out a “Woo!” every time we read the name “Ralph.”

Our second graders loved it. They laughed at all the funny, outlandish moments; they sympathized with Ralph’s writing block; and at the end, they all wanted to create their own story. One of the girls had an undying love for unicorns, so she started drawing a beautiful unicorn that would change color depending on its mood. Another girl, who was clearly a born leader, made 3D trees out of green tissue paper and delegated me to help her draw a bear.

What I noticed right away is these children have an amazing ability to take charge and spread their happiness, their zest for life. They can adapt to change with ease and make the most out of any situation. I came into this volunteer opportunity thinking that I would be teaching kids to love reading, but they ended up being my teachers. Here are a couple things I learned from them:

1. Simple joys can be found anywhere. The kids absolutely loved the arts and crafts section, and to be honest, I might have loved it even more. I can’t remember the last time I sat down to write and illustrate my own story, but let me tell you: being the author of your own book is SO. MUCH. FUN. Check out my masterpiece below.
2. Never stop learning. Kids are just naturally inquisitive creatures. They are curious about everything and want all their questions answered (ex. “Miss Alina, which animals live in the jungle?” “Why do koalas sleep so much?”). Kids learn to grow and become their own person by simply being the curious child they are supposed to be. This shouldn’t stop after a certain age — we should all try to live with the mindset of a lifelong learner.
3. Every day is a new day. As adults, we tend to make a big deal out of deadlines, work, relationships, and other sources of anxiety. Too often we forget to live presently and enjoy the moment. Granted, kids might not have a lot of stress in their lives, but the way they approach each and every day is how we should strive to confront our daily challenges.
4. Food is universal. When in doubt, talk about food because every culture loves food. I learned from one of the kids that their family makes pizza out of traditionally Mexican ingredients such as chorizo, chiles, onion, green and red peppers, and different kinds of salsas. Yum! Pizza is love, pizza is life.
5. Selflessness starts young. One of the girls told me that she knows her best friend so well, that she often talks/translates for her because her English isn’t as good. Another girl asked me if she could take an extra giveaway book and pencil case for her sister. For such small humans who’ve been on this planet for a short amount of time, these kids are more thoughtful and considerate than some adults I know.

Walking out of the classroom with Diana and Kristi, I felt a lightness and appreciation for life that I haven’t felt in awhile. I almost wanted to be a kid again so I could peer through their innocent, happy-go-lucky lens. Even Diana mentioned that once all the kids left the auditorium, there was a noticeable difference in the energy of the room. Children just have an innate sparkle of joy. They make the world seem so much more beautiful, interesting, and full of wonder.

I could go on and on about how great these youngsters are, but you should just check it out for yourself! Not only do you get an enriching volunteering experience, but you can build relationships with these awesome little humans and learn a thing or two.

Reading to Kids meets every second Saturday of the month from 9am-12pm. For more information, visit their website: www.readingtokids.org.