Those would be 2 intelligent guesses an adult might have based on the words provided. As it turns out, San Diego and Wash-wash are not locations but rather children. These are not their given names, these are the names I overheard the children using on the play ground.
Both Wash-wash and San Diego are outgoing 4 year olds in my classroom. So, naturally, the children, both boys and girls are flocking to these unrelated boys. As I heard the children calling for the boys to play in their imaginary games I thought of yet another reason why preschool is such an important step in the education of every young person.
Children, or rather people in general learn new information based on information they have already acquired. This previous knowledge helps us sort and understand new information with ease. As children enter preschool they come with vast knowledge of their home life, and all the people they associate with in their environment. Preschool, however, comes with an entirely new set of information, and people to learn from. At home they may have a sofa, so when I mention I have a red couch at my house, it takes but another second for the children to understand they are one in the same, and have now learned a new word.
Preschool has a wonderful way of bringing diverse individuals together in a non threatening environment where children named Wash-wash ( Joshua) and San Diego (Santiago) can hear different words and grow their vocabulary with ease.
I love preschool.
Kristin Schlicht
