Editor's note: CNN agreed not to use the full names of the family in this article due to concern for their safety.



Youssif is able to smile again, and his scars are healing well. Doctors are monitoring the swelling on his right ear.



WOODLAND HILLS, California (CNN) -- Youssif happily pulls off his plastic face mask and pats his cheeks, which were once covered by horrific burns.



"No hurt," the 5-year-old Iraqi boy says in English. "No hurt."



He then shows off his right hand. It too had been marred by hardened scar tissue after he was attacked by masked men outside his central Baghdad home January 15, 2007. Now, his hand is smooth.   Youssif flashes a proud grin.



A few moments later, he darts off and comes back toting his kindergarten portfolio. In less than a month of schooling, he's now writing the alphabet in upper- and lowercase.  See photos of a transformed Youssif »



He reads a book, repeating each word after the narrator. When he gets to the word "you," he gets tickled. He points at the name "Youssif" and then covers the final four letters.



"You," he says.



Youssif began attending an American school just last month, one year to the day after he was so savagely attacked in Baghdad. In a recent letter to those who have helped his son, Youssif's father described the anniversary as a "very hard day" to endure but one that also brought joy.



"But this year, it was the day for another miracle, Youssif's first day of kindergarten. It was a very happy day," Youssif's father said.



Youssif begins each day with his father strapping him into a bike trailer. Dad then pedals him to school.



On one recent outing, his dad's mobile phone blared Arabic music as Youssif quietly sat in the back, a helmet securely strapped to his head, the wind whirling past.



As soon as they reached the school, Youssif's slow walk away from his father, his head held down, quickly changed into a sprint toward his classroom, and all you could see was the big red "S" on his Superman backpack flying away.



"Harry," Youssif says in a small, muffled tone, reading the writing on the dry-erase board after receiving a little help from some classmates seated on the rug.  Watch Youssif-inspired music video »



He then receives a congratulatory high-five from one of his kindergarten teachers.



Youssif is adjusting well to school, able to write out the alphabet and count to 12 without hesitation. He always finishes with an accomplished sigh, wide eyes and a smile so big, it's as if he is making up for the 10 months he was not able to smile.



He is quick to show the pencil box on his desk, pointing to his name written on it and then pointing to himself with the same tiny finger and nodding his head, letting you know that it is his.



"The kids love Youssif. They get more excited than he does when he learns a new word in English, and they brag about it for hours," the mother of a classmate says.



Youssif is attending the school thanks to help from the Children's Burn Foundation, the Grossman Burn Center and hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by you, the CNN.com user, to help bring him and his family to the United States for treatment.



Youssif has undergone more than half a dozen surgeries. One removed the most massive scarring, which stretched about half a foot, from one of his ears to below his chin.  See how doctors removed Youssif's scars »



He could undergo as many as 12 more procedures, his doctors say, mostly to tweak scars. His right ear has swelled, and doctors are monitoring it to figure out the best way to keep it in check. He wears a clear plastic face mask for much of the day to keep his skin tight and to allow it
when was boy burned? What is the boy already doing? Where did Youssif attend school? Where was Youssif attending school? What is the boy who was burned doing? Who's lively spirit has returned?
January 15, 2007. write out the alphabet American American attending an American school Youssif
question: when was boy burned?, answer: January 15, 2007. | question: What is the boy already doing?, answer: write out the alphabet | question: Where did Youssif attend school?, answer: American | question: Where was Youssif attending school?, answer: American | question: What is the boy who was burned doing?, answer: attending an American school | question: Who's lively spirit has returned?, answer: Youssif