River Brown

She’s the one wearing a lot of bangles on her neck and wrists, two rings and hair thingies with ribbons, a missing tooth smile, mismatched clothes, not in uniform.  This midyear kindergartener has her hands on everything, in addition to twirling and touching her bracelets, necklaces and rings.  Checking her hair and only partly keeping an eye out for possible news or information, half-listening. Usually saying things on tangents.

However, she is beginning to focus and delight in her re-reads.  Sight words are beginning to stick. Some confidence is growing.

Yesterday one of our reads was called “Dad.”  At writing time today my wistful kindergirl put her thumbs up for my prompt, “What do you want to write?”  I leaned in and she told me, “Don’t go, Dad.”  Her face so serious, earnest.

Oh my.  I looked in her eyes, then prompted a capital D and asked her to say the words as she wrote. She decided to write, “Do not go Dad.”  Then she drew a picture of herself with dad.

Writing.  How can we know our students without it?