The Garden School Tattler

We have some of the cutest children. I gave Adyson a lollipop for listening today, and I began to think about how well most of them listen. Each child listens in his own way of course. Some listen with a still body, and some listen with an agitated body, and some listen with questions and some listen to some but not all. You can tell if you ask a question and expect a response.

Today I read a story about being president. I told the children to listen for the same names over and over and to pick one out so that they could tell me one at the end of the story. Four children were able to tell me the name of a past president.

Listening is a skill. Some of us are quick studies, and some of us are into listening for the long haul. Some people never believe a thing they hear. Some children have to comment on everything they hear with a connection to something at home. That's always a process!

"It's time to put away your toys and go to Circle Time." Every morning we ring the bell, and you'd think they never heard it before. Fifteen minutes later, and six bubble baths in the sink brings out the "clatch" club from the girls bathroom. "I'm going to give Hadley a sucker for being the first one out of the bathroom." They all heard that, and after noon recess the stampede to finish in the bathroom and to surface at circle time looked more like track practice.

"I want more milk."

"I didn't hear a please."

"Neither did I."

Today we heard the call to Poptarts, mandarin oranges and milk on the patio for breakfast. It was a gentle stampede. Play practice went surprisingly well.

Miss Rachel's class was a hoot. The kids are beginning to read, and as I washed the windows in that classroom, I heard the words belted out as Miss Rachel coached them into "thinking" about how you would spell and then read certain at words. Her class is so quick. They are learning at a very swift clip - loud but swift.

We had spaghetti, bread, apples and tangerines, salad and milk. The children aren't eating as much right now, and we've had a lot of left overs, so we're keeping it simple.

We sang some new songs for the play, and learned all the verses to "This Land I Your Land."

The day finished with cake for snack. The weather was good with a little hail.

Tomorrow is Fine Arts Day.