A fourth grade perspective on the world

by Richard L. Weaver II

And Then Some Works (ATSW) had the privilege of interviewing Skyler (not his real name), and what follows are the questions asked and Skyler’s answers — a world perspective as seen through the eyes of a highly intelligent, motivated, and enthusiastic fourth grader.

ATSW: How do you like school?
Skyler: I like it a lot; I really love school.
ATSW: Why do you like school so much?
Skyler: Because it’s very fun, and you learn new stuff every day.
ATSW: What is the best thing you like about school?
Skyler: I like “Reading Excells.” (The special class for exceptional readers.)
ATSW: What is so special about “Reading Excells”?
Skyler: We do a lot of experiments after we read a book. Like, after reading “Chasing Vermeer,” we did an experiment about how the eye sees things backwards. Also, after reading the book we all wrote riddles.
ATSW: If you could change anything at all about school to make it better for you, what would you change?
Skyler: I would have “Reading Excels” every single day. Right now we only have it once every two weeks. I would also have far more silent reading. I like reading at school because you have to be quiet. Everyone has to be quiet, and I love to read when it’s quiet. Also, I love math and science.
ATSW: Think about your life and all the things that you do: What do you like to do the most?
Skyler: I like to play outside with my next-door-neighbor — in addition to reading. Reading is my all-time-favorite thing to do.
ATSW: What is your favorite genre of book?
Skyler: Fiction.
ATSW: What kind of fiction do you like?
Skyler: Historical fiction. I also like adventure stories.
ATSW: Who is your favorite author?
Skyler: His name is Andrew Clements. He wrote “A Week in the Woods” and “Frindle.”
ATSW: Why do you like Andrew Clements?
Skyler: Because you can really get into the story and feel like you’re inside it. Also you can feel the same problems the main character is facing.
ATSW: If you could do anything at all to change your life to make it better for you, what would you change?
Skyler: I would be home schooled?
ATSW: Why would you want to be home schooled?
Skyler: Because I would be taught based on how I learn and not based on how everyone else learns.
ATSW: Why would that make any difference?
Skyler: I feel like I’m being held back because all the smarter kids are affected by the speed of learning of the other students. I would love to be able to learn at my own pace.
ATSW: What do you think is the most important thing that makes people get along with each other?
Skyler: Respect.
ATSW: Why do you think respect is so important?
Skyler: Because if you don’t respect one another you will be fighting all the time.
ATSW: Do you have a second thing that you consider important?
Skyler: Yes. Always telling the truth would be my second choice.
ATSW: In all the world today and with all you’ve experienced up to now, what is the thing about this world that surprises you the most?
Skyler: I used to think that all adults are perfect, and obviously they are not. There have been adults who have disappointed me.
ATSW: If you could be anything you could be, and there was nothing stopping you, what would you love to be?
Skyler: I would love to be a reading specialist in the public schools.
ATSW: Why does being a reading specialist interest you?
Skyler: Because I could work with children who are not as privileged as I am.
ATSW: What do you think is the major thing in our society that seems to hold people back or that keeps people from fulfilling their dreams?
Skyler: When I sit around and talk with my friends, we all are very excited about what we want to do. We never talk about things that might hold us back.
ATSW: Okay, what do you think holds kids back?
Skyler: Being scared is one thing.
ATSW: Being scared of what?
Skyler: Kids are probably scared of other kids being mean to them. Other kids who call them nerds. So they don’t work as hard as they would otherwise to avoid being called nerds.
ATSW: Any other things you can think of that might hold kids back?
Skyler: People have their dreams, but they decide it’s too much work. Seeing how much they have to do, they give up on school.
ATSW: What do you think is the scariest thing in the whole world?
Skyler: Living behind someone’s shadow.
ATSW: What do you mean living behind someone’s shadow?
Skyler: Like being in the shadow of a very smart person. When you feel you are not as smart as that person, it is a very scary thing.
ATSW: How do you mean that?
Skyler: Always, no matter what you are doing, there is always somebody better than you are. They could do anything to me, and I wouldn’t have anything to defend myself with.
ATSW: What is it that makes you the happiest?
Skyler: Being with my family.
ATSW: And why does it make you so happy?
Skyler: Because you know that everybody knows you and cares for you and loves you for who you are and not for who they want you to be.
ATSW: What is it that makes you sad?
Skyler: When families aren’t together, or when families are fighting.
ATSW: Do you keep up with any news that’s going on in the world today? What is a piece of news that you’ve heard?
Skyler: Recycling. The green-house effect.
ATSW: Where did you hear about these?
Skyler: I heard about them at school and on television.
ATSW: If you were king of the whole world and you could change one or two things that would make the world a better place for everyone, what would you change?
Skyler: I would stop having wars — with everyone peaceful
ATSW: And what would be a second thing you would change if you were king?
Skyler: I would have nobody litter or pollute the air.
ATSW: Would you ever want to be president of the United States?
Skyler: (He really had to think about this question. He wasn’t sure. He sat and he thought, and thought, and thought. Finally, he responded.) No.
ATSW: You wouldn’t want to be president?
Skyler: No, there is so much pressure being president, and there will always be people who don’t like you and don’t want you to be president.
ATSW: Would you ever want to go into politics?
Skyler: I would want to go into the House or Senate.
ATSW: Why would you want to go into the House or Senate?
Skyler: Then I could help make the country a better place.
ATSW: If you could go to any country in the world, what would it be?
Skyler: I would want to go to a very poor country and help out. A country, for example, in South or Central America that is very small and very poor where I could help them.
ATSW: If you could do one thing that would help a lot of people — where you could make a significant contribution to our society — what would it be?
Skyler: Child hunger.
ATSW: And how would you help with child hunger?
Skyler: I would earn money by working, and then I would buy food and donate it to child shelters — or places that don’t have much money.
ATSW: Are you thinking of going to college?
Skyler: Yes, definitely.
ATSW: And what would you like to study in college?
Skyler: I would like to study English. Also, I would want to become a teacher.
ATSW: Did you enjoy this interview?
Skyler: Yes, I did. (He answered very enthusiastically.)
ATSW: And why did you like this interview so much?
Skyler: Because the questions were not normal, everyday questions.
ATSW: Not normal, everyday questions?
Skyler: Yes. The questions made me think.

If you thought for one minute that fourth graders are too young to have hopes and dreams, are too young to have some idea of what is going on in this world, or are too young to want to give back to society, then this interview with Skyler should be an eye opener. As noted in the opening paragraph, this is a young man who is eager, enthusiastic, motivated, and interested in becoming a responsible, contributing, worthwhile member of society. These are precisely the students whom all of us should be encouraging through our patience, care, nurturing, and, above all else, support. It is students like Skyler who will make it make a difference that they have lived, and everyone will not only know, but appreciate, the difference they have made.
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“A day in the life of a fourth-grade pencil,” http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3666/is_200101/ai_n8938089 is a creative writing project that is an interesting and worthwhile school project by Marion Lee Caldwell at the website bnet. Here, the exercise is not only well described, but the results are fascinating as well.

One way to measure what Skyler says in his interview is to compare the comments with typical fourth-grader characteristics. You can do this at the ASCA (American School Counselor Association) Website http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/webdesign/hess/Fourth/fourth.htm where a complete explanation of where they are and where they are going is described.
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Contact Richard L. Weaver II