Play! Listen! Talk!

Do you ever find it challenging and even overwhelming at times to handle the wide variation of skills and abilities in preschoolers? I've experienced this in guiding kids to complete the TalkTime activity pages. In our class, we've got

• -one child who prints her name very neatly, right next to the child who is determined to write his name--even though no one can read it!
• -one child who loves matching activities, right next to the child who draws lines connecting every picture whether they match or not!
• -one child who patiently colors every single white space on both sides of the page, right next to the child who makes a few marks on the page and announces, "I'm done!"
• 
  

At first, I stressed out a little, trying to help every child get their pages done just right! But then, I realized, their pages ARE done just right, because every child has participated and accomplished according to their standards, not mine. So now, while I demonstrate how to do the page and offer help when needed (my help isn't always accepted!), I try to remember to focus on the "Let's Talk" questions. Because, really, I don't care so much if the pictures are matched correctly as much as I care about whether the kids get what God's Word means in everyday life.