Khan Academy Ed Talks with Kristi Yamaguchi - Thursday, March 3

Hello! Welcome to Khan Academy Ed Talks. I am Caroline Hu Flexer, the CEO and co-founder of Khan Academy Kids, which is a mobile app for children ages two through eight that's focused on literacy, math, and social-emotional learning.

Today, we are celebrating National Reading Month, and I am excited to talk with our special guest, Christy Yamaguchi, who is an Olympic gold medalist, author, and philanthropist. If you have questions for Christy, please drop them into the chat.

Before we get started, I want to remind you that Khan Academy is a non-profit organization. We're able to do the work that we do thanks to the generosity and donations from folks like all of you. So, if you're able to give, please go to khanacademy.org/donate, and you'll find a place where you can make that donation. We are so grateful for anything that you can give to our mission.

I also wanted to recognize the organizations that have helped support our work during the pandemic, including AT&T, General Motors, and Fastly. Finally, if you want to listen to this podcast again or find previous broadcasts, you can find them at Homeroom with Sal, the podcast, anywhere you get your podcasts.

So, let's get started! I’m thrilled to introduce you all to Christy Yamaguchi. She is a wife, mother, Olympic gold medalist, children's book author, and founder of the non-profit Always Dream. Kristy Yamaguchi's Always Dream ensures that children from low-income families have access to high-quality books.

Welcome, Christy! It's great to have you here.

Christy: Thank you, Caroline. It's great to join you! Thanks for having me.

Yeah, so the Winter Olympics just finished. This year is your 30th anniversary since capturing the gold medal. What is your most cherished memory regarding your Olympic experience? And we'd love to hear a bit more about what the Olympics were like back then.

Christy: Yes, so '92 was a while back, right? But it was an incredible experience. I think when you talk to any Olympian, one of the most vivid and fondest memories is always marching in the opening ceremonies. Just being a part of an incredible group of athletes—not just figure skaters, but you know, the skiers, the speed skaters, the bobsledders, biathletes—it's just an incredible pool of talent, and it's so humbling. I think there's no prouder feeling than putting on our Team USA uniforms and marching together, representing our country.

So that, I think, will always be an incredibly special moment. The games themselves are just something that's a lifelong pursuit. It's amazing just to be there and an honor to represent. But you know, the competition gets a little intense, as you can imagine. But lots of fun too! I knew I was prepared, and even though my nerves were creeping in and giving me a little bit of that scary feeling, I kept telling myself, "Go out there, do what you're trained to do." The preparation was something I could rely on, and it came through for me.

I feel very fortunate every day.

Yes, it clearly did! I’m sure there were many life lessons that you learned as a figure skater. What were some of those that carried over into your work now in raising and teaching kids?

Christy: Yeah, I mean that's such a great point! It's all about having a dream, right? Really going after those dreams, and really encouraging kids to use their imaginations and to open up their minds to what's possible out there. Then, you know, putting in the time and working for it. So, all good stuff to kind of set goals and encourage kids to really go after what they want and put in some effort into it. You never know what can happen!

Absolutely! It's that combination of hard work and dreams that have clearly taken you far. So, you've written three books, and you're also working with early childhood literacy. How did you get into that from figure skating? You started quite early in your career as well.

Christy: Yes, so my organization Always Dream was established in 1996, and we are all about embracing the hopes and dreams of underserved children. Over the last ten years, we've focused our efforts on early childhood literacy. The inspiration behind that was becoming a mom myself. I still have two daughters, but at the time they were four and six, so kind of at that learn-to-read age.

We saw the incredible value that reading at home had and the pure benefits they received from it as they were getting ready for school. Looking around our country, I found some statistics. You know, 60 percent of low-income families don't have age-appropriate books in the home, and about 40 percent of our fourth graders in the United States are reading at or above grade level. Those are numbers we want to change! I felt like that was something I was passionate about and wanted to focus on.

Absolutely! And now you're working with school districts, using technology to help get those resources into classrooms. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Christy: Yes! We have a program called Always Reading that focuses on pre-kindergarten and kindergarten age students, primarily in Title 1 schools, where resources are very much needed. We provide one-to-one tablets with e-books, offering a wide range of titles and subjects for the kids to pick from.

We also pair that with family engagement support, reaching out to families three times a week with text messages. There's everything from reading tips and strategies to gentle reminders, like, "Hey, there are ten new books in your library! Why don't you pick one out and read to your child tonight?" Sometimes we include questions to ask your kids as they're reading together. It's a program we love to see impact change in behavior at home, setting up a literacy-rich environment and understanding the importance of engaging with their children.

That's great! I love that you've implemented these tips. Do some of them come from your experiences as a mom while teaching your kids to read?

Christy: Definitely! We do everything we can to get them interested in books, right? Sometimes it’s not easy, but I think keeping it fun is always great. Even if it means just picture-walking a book with your child, like looking at a picture and asking them, "Hey, there's Dream Big, Little Pig! What color is her dress? What is she doing? Is she playing basketball?" It prompts them to think and answer, helping them get more involved with what they're reading.

You know, keeping it fun was one thing for sure!

Absolutely! Kids always learn best through play. I love that playful approach to learning. Tell us about the children's books that you've written.

Christy: Yes, absolutely! So, there are three books. One is called Dream Big, Little Pig. Poppy the Pig is interested in ice skating and tries different things before she finds her passion for it. This story is all about persistence, not giving up, and going after your dreams, even with challenges in front of you.

Then I did a follow-up called It's a Big World, Little Pig. The third book, Cara's Kindness, features a caring cat, passing kindness forward and encouraging her friends to do the same. You never know, kindness can come back to you. Each book has a little bit of a positive message that I hope kids can take away and implement in their own lives.

Yes! Speaking of facing challenges, we have a question from Khushi on YouTube. She was asking, "How do you keep going in spite of having low scores or performance?" I'm assuming it's regarding reading. Do you have some ideas for that?

Christy: Yes! It sounds like it's maybe a parent or teacher asking. I think it's about finding something that will inspire a child to pick up books as much as possible. It's important to have options of choice because when a child can pick and choose, they take a little ownership over their reading. That can make it more fun!

It inspires them to read that book again and again, which is always great. Or it might prompt them to find other books on that same subject. So, the choice is a big key to getting them interested. Maybe you can find fun ways to get them reading, like being outside and seeing something interesting, like a big truck. You can say, "Let's go find some books about trucks and learn more!"

Little tricks like that are great ways to get a child's interest in books, even if they don't realize they're learning something!

Absolutely! Especially for the youngest kids, I think songs and rhymes build so many phonemic awareness skills as you're singing and playing games too. I love the idea of having choice with books, so kids can find what interests them.

We have another question from Sam Lewis on YouTube. He's asking, "How do you press on when your faith is being tested beyond all you can give?" I hear him, especially during these challenging times, particularly during the pandemic.

Christy: Yes, that's a tough one. I think it's something we all face at some point in our lives. It's about finding ways to dig deep, see what we have instead of focusing on challenges. Sometimes taking stock of positive things can help lift you up, even if it doesn't change the situation.

A different perspective can inspire change in a different way. Leaning on people you trust and not being afraid to reach out is important because generous people out there want to give whatever advice or tips to help out.

Thank you! We have another question from Dia Sama on YouTube. She asked, "What inspired you to be a figure skater?"

Christy: Ah, yes! I saw an ice skating show when I was younger, and I loved the music, performances, and costumes. There was so much about skating that was magical. I begged my mom to take me, and she said, "Okay, when you're six and you learn to read, then I'll take you to the ice rink." That was a big motivation for me to get reading!

From the first try at six years old, I just loved it. The freedom on the ice, the feeling of movement—there's something exhilarating about it! Learning the jumps and different moves was a challenge but also brought great rewards. A lot of things inspired my skating!

That's fascinating! I love that it was tied to reading from the beginning; clearly, your mom shared the same values you do.

Christy: Yes, for sure!

What were your favorite books at that age?

Christy: Good question! I had this one little book called Bear's Birthday. It wasn't from a big publisher, maybe given out at Hallmark, but it had a bear on an adventure. You could pull him out and place him in different environments on consecutive pages, so it was always fun!

As for other books, I loved Charlotte's Web. If you see a pig connection there, I had a big thing about pigs. So, of course, Charlotte's Web was one of my favorites!

You know, we have seen, and Yew Wang from YouTube asked, "What do you think is the reason that little kids like to read the same book over and over again? How can we get them to explore different books?"

Christy: It's a good thing to read books over and over! The repetition is good for kids in that age range. They'll hear the same words and start comprehending things better.

We actually encourage repetition in our Always Reading program. If that's what they want to read, that's great! But you can also find another book with a similar character or subject and say, "Hey, this is just like the other book! Let's see if there's a new adventure!" Getting them interested in books is key, but don't worry about repetition; it's a good thing!

Absolutely! I remember the days when our kids were young, reading the same books over and over again. We've noticed that kids will read the same book but look at the pictures and respond differently each time. Sometimes they start even pre-reading by reciting the text because they remember it. That's all part of learning!

Sam Lewis from YouTube has a question: "May I ask how to keep a two-year-old still long enough to read to?"

Christy: Oh! It's been a long time since my kids were two. You can let them sit on your lap, look at the book, and feel it. Let them take charge a bit! Have them turn the pages. For example, reading Goodnight Moon was one we wanted to hear repeatedly. You can make it a game, like "Can you find the little mouse on this page?"

You know? Two years old is tough, but even five minutes of reading can start that routine. As they get older, you might build that time up. Ten minutes a day makes a huge difference in developing strong literacy habits and skills. Parents can set aside time for reading, like after dinner or before bed, so kids grow up expecting that routine!

They do like routine!

Christy: Yes, they do!

Sharon from Facebook asked us, "Do you have a variety of genres you prefer for your personal reading?"

Christy: Oh, I bounce all over! Lately, I've been into action and thrillers—those spy novels! But I read some great ones over the summer, like Where the Crawdads Sing—it was an incredible book! I like exploring different genres—adventure and even fantasy like Lord of the Rings is one of my favorites growing up.

Maybe now, going back to your past as a child—what was your training like when you first started out at six to eight years old?

Christy: At six to eight, I was still getting to know skating, going a couple of times a week after school. It built up over time, and I think around middle school age, I began going early in the morning, before school. My mom would take me for an hour or two before school and sometimes after.

So, I began to get serious around 11 or 12 years old, really focusing on training.

As you competed over the years, how did you build the mental toughness needed to prepare for the pressure of the Olympics and the worldwide stage?

Christy: It comes gradually! My coach, Christine Ness, prepared her students to be tough. She trained us physically but also wanted us to be mentally tough. She was tough in training, never letting up. It was about getting into that feeling of nerves before competing.

We practiced like that sometimes so when I felt those nerves in competition, it wasn't new and uncomfortable. Even though I felt shaky, I could still perform well!

What was it like being one of the first Asian American figure skaters representing the U.S.?

Christy: I feel more of the impact now than I did at the time. I didn't realize it then. I knew that very few Asian Americans were at the top level, like Tiffany Chin, who was a big idol for me. I didn’t feel pressure; I didn't realize what had happened until after the Olympics when it was brought to my attention that I was the first Asian American to win a gold in the Winter Olympics.

Seeing how much it meant to the Asian American community made me reflect on my family's history in the U.S. and the sacrifices they made so I could live the American dream.

Wonderful! It's just been such an inspiration to have this conversation with you and hear about your Olympic history and your deep work with children in early literacy. Thank you so much, Christy, for taking the time and sharing with our audience.

Christy: Absolutely! Thank you, Caroline! It was great to talk to you and an honor to speak with you. I'm a huge fan of Khan Academy Kids and love what you guys do for early education—it’s so important.

Well, thank you so much! If folks want to see this, just find the podcast wherever you get your podcasts and look for Khan Academy Ed Talks. We will see you next time! Thank you.