Reading around the world: A fourth- and first-grade collaboration
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Fourth-grade students at Humphreys West Elementary recently visited Ms. Ngo’s first-grade classroom to participate in a shared “Reading Around the World” experience. The room was filled with smiles, excitement, and a love for books as students from both grade levels came together to learn from one another.
The fourth graders arrived eager to serve as reading buddies. Each student was paired with a first grader, and together they selected books to read. The older students took great pride in reading aloud, demonstrating expression, fluency, and confidence, while the first graders listened closely, following along with curiosity and enthusiasm.
After reading, students engaged in meaningful conversations about their books, discussing what the stories were about, their favorite characters, what surprised them, and what they learned. It was wonderful to see how naturally students shared ideas, asked questions, and made connections during their discussions.
The first graders were also full of curiosity about what lies ahead and had many thoughtful questions about life in fourth grade. They asked their visiting partners, “What is fourth grade like?”, “What are you learning right now?”, “Do you have fun in fourth grade?”, and “What is your teacher like?” These conversations were sweet, genuine, and filled with excitement for the future.
Students even took the opportunity to ask fourth-grade teacher Ms. Short what they would need to learn by the time they reach fourth grade. Ms. Short shared that students grow each year as readers, writers, mathematicians, thinkers, and leaders, and expressed that she looks forward to seeing them shine when they eventually reach fourth grade.
For the fourth graders, this visit was a proud and rewarding moment. They enjoyed being mentors and role models for the younger students, and many expressed how excited they were to participate in this special reading experience. Several students shared that they cannot wait to return to Ms. Ngo’s first-grade classroom for more reading adventures.
This “Reading Around the World” collaboration was about more than reading books together—it was about building community, confidence, and meaningful connections across grade levels.
Experiences like these remind us how powerful shared learning can be.
