Gravity & A Pre-Schooler
"I've been noticing gravity since I was very young."
Cameron Diaz
I needed to complete a two-week observation at an early childhood setting and ended up at Little Bears Day Care Center. The class had 15 students, eight boys and seven girls.
The teacher, a motherly woman hedging her early 50s, put me at ease immediately. "We are so pleased to have a male here for the students. Usually, we overflow with female visitors and many of the kids live with moms or grandparents."
"No problem," I said.
"I'd like to match you up with a boy." She turned and faced a circle of seated kids. "Josh, come here please.” She whispered to me, "He has a bit of a speech problem."
A cute undersized imp with a twinkle in his eyes stood and slowly made his way to me. His teacher took his hand and introduced me. "Josh this is..."
"Mr. Karrer," I replied filling the name void as I jostled his hair.(We could back then. It was even encouraged) He looked down at his small shoes, embarrassed, rubbing one over the other.
Josh and I got along well right off the bat. His speech problem only made him cuter. It could accurately be described as a linguistic form heavily dependent on the use of the letter w - Elmer Fuddian in style.
Outside, in a playful moment, I grabbed him by both ankles. Held him high and dangled him upside down.
"Wet me go! Wet me go! Wet me go!" he demanded.
His reply hit my funny bone and I replied, "Josh, if I let you go what will happen to you?"
He quieted and then yelled, "Don't wet me go! Don't let me go! Don't wet me go!”
Apparently even pre-schoolers comprehend the down side of gravity
