Little update on Ben and kindergarten

Let me start by saying how much Ben's learned since starting school. His printing and drawing has come a long way; what were once random scribbles (at the beginning of the year) are now legible letters and images. There's nothing more enjoyable to see in his school folder (which comes home at the end of each school day) than pictures Ben's drawn all on his own.

From a social standpoint I think it's been a bit tough on him being the youngest. He's incredibly social and engaging when he's playing in a small group outside of school, but at school he's not interacting a whole lot with the other kids, even during free-play time. It's a departure from preschool where he made friends and played easily with the other kids. I think part of the problem (for Ben) in kindergarten is that there is a 'three kids to a bin' rule, presumably to cut down on squabbles over toys, and Ben isn't forward enough to get himself into a group early on and ends up either playing alone or spaces out a bit, off in his own imaginary world.

I think next year will be a bit easier for Ben since he'll be in senior-kindergarten and still in a JK/SK blended class, so there will be children younger than him. And he'll have had the experience of JK behind him.