Eye See You!

I went to kindergarten many years ago when we only went for a half day and were expected to act like kindergartners, as opposed to today when the children are expected to act like first graders.  I don't have many memories of kindergarten - I remember dancing the Mexican Hat Dance (we must have danced it often since I can still hear the music in my head and I can do the steps), we had milk and graham crackers every day, and I didn't like to stand in line next to David Niamond because he wore big, thick socks (David, if for some odd reason you should happen to stumble across this, I am not quite as shallow now, I swear!).  I do remember sitting with a red crayon in my hand poised over a paper while I waited for Mrs. Carroll to teach us how to draw a rainbow, but I couldn't wait and colored on my paper before the instructions so that Mrs. Carroll yelled at me (if any of my classmates stumbles across this, I probably haven't changed that much since then).  One of the things that I vividly remember is learning right from left.

I don't recall that I had know that there was such a thing as left and right before that class.  I do believe that left-handed children learn the difference more easily because people often remark that the child is left-handed.  No one ever says, "Look at that girl - she is right handed".  I do remember Mrs. Carroll standing in front of the class and explaining left and right as she was facing us and as she was facing away from us.  I was very excited about my new knowledge and came home from school to tell my mother all about what I had learned.  I very proudly showed her which hand was my right hand.  I then showed her how when I turned around my other hand became my right hand. My mother then proceeded to teach me my right from my left.  (I still have difficulty, but it seems to be a legacy from my father's family.  People used to ask us if we meant a left or a Lund left!).

Part of my trouble - aside from the Lund heritage - was that I had to absorb a complicated subject the first time that I was introduced to the subject.  Even the vocabulary - left and right - was new to me.  It is often beneficial if a child is introduced to a new concept in small steps.  Several days ago I had to relieve the four year old teacher for a few minutes while her children were finishing their snack.  She asked me to keep an eye on them, so I sat at the table, leaned down to stare at them, and asked if they wanted me to use my left or my right. Someone said "left" so I shut my right eye and stared at them with my left.  After a few minutes, someone yelled, "Right", so I opened my right eye and closed my left.  The continued having me switch eyes, going faster and faster until the room was flashing in front of me.  (This might have been fun in the sixties!)  Fortunately, the teacher came back and relieved me before my brain exploded.  I did not teach the children right from left, but I did introduce them to the concept.  Hopefully, this will help them to build an understanding so that they do not think that their hands change when they turn around (unless one of their greatgrandparents was related to my daddy!).