...and sometimes Y.

Dismissal time in kindergarten can be crazy. Cubbies to empty, folders to fill and back packs to pack.

In the winter there are boots, hats, scarfs, mittens, gloves and jackets...oh the jackets, the person who invented those jackets with the zip-out linings in kindergarten size, was obviously never a kindergarten teacher. I can not tell you how many sleeves I've had to tuck back in so their little arms go through the right hole.

So during dismissal I try my best to make things as calm as possible.
There they were today, packed up and ready to go. The bus kids were in their holding patterns in the hallway waiting for Mission Control to call their space shuttle bus, and the parent dismissal kids were waiting quietly in their circle spots.

I play a little game when it's line up time. I might say, "if you are wearing stripes, you may line up" or "if you are wearing pink, you may line up". Today I decided to go with a little phonemic awareness.

Me: "If your name rhymes with silly, you may skip to the line."

Billy: "YES!"

Me: "If your name begins with a "c" sound, you may hop to the line."

Me: "If your name begins with a vowel you may tip-toe to the line."

My three vowel kids toed it to the line, but the fourth didn't move.

Me: ( I repeat) "Yolanda,  if your name begins with a vowel you can tip-toe to the line."

Yolanda: "Mrs Collins, what's a BOWEL?"

Me: (without skipping a beat, cause I that's how I roll) A,E,I,O,U and sometimes....?

Yolanda: Y!