The Richest of Fare: They're Just Different

Well, I almost hesitate to say this, but I think my Little People are really getting better. They still have their wild and crazy moments, but in general I can actually feel like we're accomplishing some things - not just making it through each day.

It's funny how different this class is from last year's. It's been a while (many years) since I've had two preschool classes back to back, so I've forgotten what great disparity can exist between two groups of children so close in age.

For example, this class is much more concerned with each other's business than last year's class was. They're big tattlers already (usually that is an end-of-the-year thing.) Or perhaps it's that way because they haven't learned the "take care of yourself" rule, that eliminates a lot of the tattling because they learn that I won't pay attention to most of what they say about other people.

They're also more social, in that they play off of each other a lot more. If one starts singing a song, several others do, too. If one of them starts saying something silly, the others jump right in. And it's about impossible to rein them in if someone starts making strange noises in large group time on the carpet (you know, tongue clicking, general spitting noises, heavy exhaling, etc.)

They also play with different things than last year's class did. Like these big bouncy balls, for example. Last year's class hardly touched them. This class bounces all over the playground at them - they're quite skilled in this Big Ball Bouncing. One little guy just likes to run up to them and jump belly-first on them to see which way his little body will get flung off. And then there was the full scale Bouncy Ball Assault that three boys launched on the unsuspecting Duck, Duck, Goose game last week. Somehow they were coordinated enough to grab the balls and run full-force with them over their heads toward the game, finally bouncing them off of several off the sitting (and altogether unsuspecting) players. We intervened on that one and let them know that wasn't a good idea. They then changed the plan to running up to the players, yelling "Goose" to one of them, and running away and hiding.