Refugee Children

The story "Show and Tell" by Andrew Lam reminded me of the refugee children I worked with at my elementary school back home. I helped in the book club that was specifically for the refugee group of about 15 kids that were all in the 5th grade. The purpose of the book club was to improve their literacy skills and the school provided free books for them to take home and read. They all varied in their reading levels, some were struggling to read simple words like "cat" and "water" while others were starting to read chapter books. Many of them, especially the boys, seemed like they had assimilated well because they were not afraid of expressing their opinions and asking many questions. Others, especially those who did not speak or understand as much English, were more reserved and hesitant about reading aloud. But what stood out to me was that they all wanted to learn English and worked really hard to get enough stickers to choose a book that they could have for themselves. The most exciting part of those afternoons was when the teacher showed the new books that the kids could pick from. I think that speaks for the hardwork and determination those kids had for learning a new language and becoming adjusted to a new culture.