Second Grade

I am in the beginning stages of planning for second grade, and I came across this wonderful description by a Waldof teacher:
"Oh to spend a day with a seven and a half year old!  What fun, what joy, what interest, what warmth!  The typical second grade child with 8 Easters under his belt, is a literal delight and the picture of childhood.  Imaginative, willowy, still forming the waist and still carrying some remnants of baby cheeks and softness from infancy, dancing eyes, quick smiles....trusting, physically light, suspended in the crystal air, color bright, tiny rainbows held in clear drops of water, dew on the rose petals, that is what we feel when we spend time with second graders.  They love to laugh, big wide mouthed laughs, when you read a story to them or tell one, put some pauses into your prosody so they can have that time to listen, understand, and then laugh! Or puzzle.  Or think a bit.  The second grader is drawn to interesting activities and content to be with you, teacher-parent, as you go about your tasks, too, they make great companions and can help take care of pets, minor household chores, although their stamina is often limited, still, as such young beings are.  When I think of second graders, the action that comes to mind, is giggling!  That is the perfect descriptive word for this age, as they actually do giggle and wiggle and struggle to accomplish all this hard work!  Each day, the teacher is inspired to bring something funny and something sad to this age, as they are filled so easily with humor or with empathy for one another.  Enjoy this beautiful year, take lots of pictures of faces with teeth that are missing or look way to large...this is a quicksilver year, passing by like lightening strikes, like dragonflies and hummingbirds, when you hold a second grader in your hands, you know you have a beautiful bubble, a snowflake, a flash of silvery light, what a gift, for that moment, and soon to disappear."