Springfield elementary student from Ukraine stars in YouTube videos

"The first video I made was about Martin Luther King," he said. "We were thinking we'd do them about people."

That approach didn't last long.

Yan quickly transitioned to trying kid-friendly experiments, such as making slime or dyeing spaghetti, in front of the camera.

Other videos feature him trying a zip line, climbing a wall, giving tips on how to memorize world capitals, or reviewing new technology and toys.

Yan said his mother, Hanna, shoots and edits the videos. "I do the acting and I make the ideas."

Yan's Russian channel on YouTube is different than the English one. The Russian-speaking one is mostly devoted to chronicling his travels to various places, from Kiev to Florida.

"I like making all of them," he said. "It's fun acting and doing the experiments."

In an empty classroom at Wilder, Yan tucked his feet under him on a chair and squirmed while answering a reporter's questions. Asked his age, Yan said he is technically 7 but since his birthday is in late April, he is "really almost" 8.

Yan said he was born in Odessa, Ukraine and he and his mother moved to the United States "two or three years ago," making a stop in New York City before settling in Springfield.

"It is kind of different here," he said.

He said when he moved to Missouri, he knew very little English. He briefly attended Hickory Hills before enrolling at Wilder two years ago.

"I learned the language by others speaking it," he said. "When I didn't know a word, I would ask my stepfather."

Yan speaks both English and Russian at home. He said he has also been learning a little Spanish and German.

Wilder school officials said the more Yan conversed — and could read and write fluently — in English, it became clear he was exceptionally bright. He was tested for Springfield's academically gifted program and was quickly accepted.

Each Monday, he participates in the WINGS program at Phelps Center for Gifted Education. A recent unit on Ancient Egypt was one of his favorites.

"He has really blossomed this year," said Maria Kaufman, Yan's second-grade teacher at Wilder. "I love that he gets to go to WINGS every week and he comes back and works 10 times harder."

Kaufman said his videos are "hilarious" and described him as a creative, funny and intelligent boy.

"If it's something he's passionate about, he is really motivated," she said.

Yan and his classmates posted their New Year's resolutions on the wall outside Kaufman's classroom. Yan's resolution was to get up earlier each day and spend more time playing the piano.

He also wrote: "I want to make more videos on both channels. I will think of more new things to do and to talk about in my videos. I will talk more in my videos."

Yan said he also loves to read. He is working his way through author Sarah Mlynowski's book series, Upside-Down Magic.

Asked if he planned to pursue a career in front of or behind the camera, Yan said no.

"Maybe I'll be a math teacher in high school because I really love math," he said. "Maybe I will design apps."