Kindergarten Registration

I have been helping with kindergarten registration this week for our incoming kindergarteners. (The class of 2023...does that sound far off or what?!!) These kids were born in 2005. Our car is older than these kids, probably some of the cans in my cupboard and socks in my drawer too!! Several kids said very funny things when I asked them questions, but here is today's favorite. There is a section on my screening that asks about body parts. I ask the child to point to their chin, knee, elbow and ankle. Some kids touch their cheek instead of their chin or their shoulder instead of their elbow... these are just normal mistakes that I simply count as wrong. One little girl was doing very well on my screening. I had already gathered from the answers she had given me that she had no speech or language problem so we were moving at a quick rate through the rest of the assessment. She knew chin, knee and elbow easily. I said, "Now, show me where your ankle is" Her mother had finished talking about paperwork with the social worker and had come up behind the little girl without her knowing and sat down and listened very proudly at her answers. She obviously knew her daughter was very bright. For her answer, the little girl looked suddenly stricken and said, "I don't have those anymore. My mother took them away now that I am 5" While she said this she put her hand between her legs. Behind the little girl I saw the Mom's jaw drop at the response and it took several more questions and minutes to figure out she thought I said "tinkle" for which she used to wear a pull up for to bed. It is amazing what kids can think of so innocently that can make it so hard for us grown ups to figure out!!

There is another part of my speech and language screening that asks the child to explain how two items are either the same or different…. 98% of the kids either give the same answers to these questions or say they don’t know the answer, but every once in awhile I get a zinger-- answers that are very unusual! We still have another week to go to register next years kindergarteners, but these are my favorites so far--- Me: How are a bird and a dog different? Usual answer: Bird: wings, dog: legs/fur. My favorite: A Bird has tail feathers and a dog has a furry butt. Me: How are milk and juice the same? Usual answer: They are both drinks. My favorite: You brush your teeth with them. (This one was from a child that had no top or bottom front teeth) Me: How are an apple and banana different? Usual answer: apple: red, banana: yellow My Favorite: “Well, apples are circles and banana’s are……………. Happy faces!” ☺