WATCH – ‘Amazingly Sweet’: First Grader Reads Aloud to Elderly Friends in Minnesota

Amy Furr

A first grader in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, is honing her reading skills thanks to some very special friends.

Maggie Kuznia is a bright child who loves visiting the elderly folks who live at the Good Samaritan Society Heritage Grove senior living building, KARE 11 reported Thursday.

One of those special people is a woman named Patti Griggs, who welcomes the little girl into her apartment when it is time for their activity.

Seven-year-old Maggie chooses a book from her backpack and settles in beside her friend to read aloud to Griggs, who enjoys every minute of their time together.

“She’s such a good little reader. I taught first grade, and I taught kids how to read. There were very few children who could come in and read like that,” Griggs explained.

It is Maggie’s routine to walk through the building asking neighbors if they will allow her to read aloud to them.

According to the Read Aloud Revival website, the read-aloud process helps improve academic performance, creates a better vocabulary, and also aids with information processing.

It also builds community while enriching the time people spend together, the site reads.

According to KARE, Maggie’s mother works at the senior living building and the little girl would sometimes accompany her on the job.

One day in late 2022, Maggie decided not to take her Nintendo Switch, but told her mother she was going to bring books instead to read to her elderly friends.

Her idea became a routine the residents enjoy.

The one-on-one reading time has vastly improved the child’s reading abilities, according to her mom, who said it has also built her reading confidence.

When speaking of Griggs, Maggie said, “I really like when she helps me out because it makes me know the words more better.”

When children spend time with elderly friends, it improves the seniors’ health, decreases loneliness, and also helps them feel they have a purpose and are honored, according to Hospice of the Piedmont.

Social media users praised the little reader for her kindness toward her friends, one person writing, “Thank you so much Maggie. You are doing great,” while another said, “How amazingly sweet.”

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