Educated Fluffies Part 5. Singalong

Educated Fluffies Part 5. Singalong.

>"An' den mof yessaday whea todai wahs!" Summer chirped merrily.
"Very Good Summer! You've earned yourself a Gold Star!"
>As you peel the little gold star off the sticker sheet
>You have gone through these like tissue paper.
>Summer is gleefully wiggling her tail as she bounces back from the calendar to the little semi-circle, her star-adorned flank glinting in the sun.
>So quick rundown of things that the fluffy ponies know, time to review.
"Good morning My little Fluffies"
>"Gud Mawnin' Missa'non!" in imperfect six-part harmony.
>Even Christmas remembered.
>Basic classroom discipline, check.
"Now, Winter, do you know what day it is?"
>"Yessadai Tuef-dai, an' tuu-dai Wendai!"
"That's correct Winter! Autumn, can you tell me wh-"
>"Tuumowwow Thus-tai!" She waves her little hoof in the air, beaming.
"Yes, that's correct Autumn, but you must not interrupt me when i am talking."
>"Awtum sowwy." she droops and scratches the ground with her hoof.
"It's alright Autumn, you are still a good fluffy."
>"Awwight." She is still a bit despondent.
>So, telling time, at least in terms of days, past and future, is sorted.
"Now, Spring?"
>She flinches slightly, and looks up at you.
>"Misa'non?"
>She doesn't cower as much anymore, that's good.
>"Spring, what color is... your mane?
>"Spwing mane... is... uhm... gween."
"Correct. Very good Spring. Such a lovely mane."
>Praise is probably the best way to get spring out of her shell, but even that isn't perfect.
>Still, better not heap too much praise on her, so you move on.
"Holiday, what color is... Summer's fluff?"
>"Summa haf pink fwuff!"
Correct! and what else is pink?
>"Howidai Mane, an' Missa'non haf pink shiwt, an' cwayon pink! Nuu dif cwayon, dif cwayon wed, buh pink cwayon deh, and wen Chwisma' cwean No-nos-"
"Very good Holiday!"
>Simple colors, check and check plus. Being able to associate a simple quality with an object is very important.
>And now, the big gamble of the day...
"Christmas?"
>"Huh?"
"Do you remember what this shape is?"
>You pick up a little heavy-cardstock printout of a colored circle, and show it to him.
>"Dat Baww? he asks.
>Patience. It's a virtue.
"Yes, Balls are this shape... but what is the name of this shape?"
>"Chwisma! 'Membah song?" Autumn is whispering, loud as ever. "Membah shape song?"
>They try to help him, bless their fluffy little hearts.
>Christmas has scrunched up his little brow.
>...
>C'mon little guy... The song.
>...
>Same song we sung four times yesterday.
>...
>Christmas was actually in tune and you gave you a gold star.
>...
>"Ahh... siw-kew, is a shape, da go' wound?" He finally replies.
>You clap your hands (gently, loud noises can scare them).
"Yes! Correct! Gold Star!"
>"Weawwy? Cwisma' Wuv gowd staw!"
>God knows he doesn't get enough of these.
>You proudly stick his star to his flank, and he prances happily.
>Holiday and Autumn give him a hug.
>It devolves into a fluffpile.
>And you can check shapes off the list.
>It's time, you've been afraid of this, but it is time.
>You have to move forward into...
>The Alphabet.
>You've been hesitant to do this, but it's time top break them into it gently.
>Once the fluffpile resolves and everyone is back in their places, you pass out extra lined paper.
"Today is a big day for you all my little fluffies, today we start learning how to read and write!"
>"Ooohhh." "Aaahhh" "Wha' wead?"
"Well, when I tell you all stories? I am Reading them out of a book! And after you learn to read, you'll be able to read them too."
>"Da' siwwy, Awtum awweadh know aww da' stowies!"
>You raise an eyebrow.
"All the stories Autumn?"
>"Awtum know Pokie wittew puppeh, an' Tawnny Scwany Wion, an' Babbeh Animahs, an' Toot-ew, An' Deh Shy Wittew Kitteh, an'-"
"Autumn, those are just stories I've read to you. There are more, many more stories I haven't read to you yet."
>"Moh stowies?" Winter's eyes shine.
"And if you learn to read, you can read those stories, and share them with the whole class! Doesn't that sound like fun?"
>Five cheers, and a gentle "eep."
>Oh, right, Spring.
"There's all kinds of books out there, books about flowers, and trees..."
>Ah, good, she likes that and is engaged again.
"And books about drawing and art, Books about playing with balls and books about everything you've ever wanted to know., and some things you never even though of asking. We're going to start reading today, with the most basic building block..."
>You pick up your guitar, because it's time for another sing along.
"Now, I'm going to sing it once, slowly, then you can join me on the next verse, okay?"
>Find your chord and...
"A, B, C, D, E, F, G..."
---
"Everybody!"
>In fluffy chorus "Nao Aye know mai Aye-Beh-See's Nec's Taim won' yuu sing wif meh!" Cheers, spontaneous applause, and huggies.
>You are so glad you learned to play guitar back in high school.
>Mostly for the girls, but right now it's made teaching the fluffies easier.
>If real children are this easy to get along with, you wouldn't mind giving teaching kindergarten a go.
"Great Job every one! Now, it is the end of class, so I want everyone to make a nice orderly line, and walk to the common room."
>The fluffies do as you instruct, rather than the insane rush of fluffs you had in the early days.
>Respecting classroom rules, all without you lifting a hand against them.
>That's professional, respected authority The good stuff.
>Kinda intoxicating.
>"Missa'non?" Holiday tugs at your pants leg. "Cwass ovah, dah mean yuu Daddeh 'gain?"
"That's right Holiday. When we're not in class, you can call me Daddy."
>"Howidah made dis duwin' cwass foh yuu Daddeh."
>It's a small stack of lined paper.
>You expect drawings of you and her an probably a ball or crayons.
>instead it's a single long interconnected chain of capitol letters.

>Each letter is slightly malformed, many of them are half-and-half one page to the next, where she continued the drawing across another sheet of paper, but it's all in order.
>The entire alphabet.
>And you just taught it today.
>Writing isn't even on your itinerary.
"Holiday, this is amazing!"
>"Daddeh wike howidah dwawing?"
"I love it, do you know what this is?"
>"Dat shiny stwing hang acwoss woom!"
"Yes! that- what?"
>"Shiny stwing suu pwetty, twy dwawin 'foh, buh nuu wight. Goh wight tuudai!"
>The streamer of foil letters you hung across the front of the classroom two weeks ago.
"Holiday, you've written the alphabet. The song we all sung today, do you remember it?"
>"Aye bea See Dee Heff Aie... Ell... Emm...."
>Her tuns starts strong, but with no harmony, she drops off.
>Uh oh, she's forgetting the lyrics.
>No crime, learning takes time, and this is a tall order for anyone.
"Wait, let's see if one of your friends can help you... Summer! Come here!"
>Summer kicks her ball over ahead of herself, pursing it with joyful abandon.
>"Daddeh Wan pway?"
"Sure summer, but right now, i need you to play with Holiday. Do you remember the song you sung today?"
>"Yesh! Ellemmennohpeas!... Kay... Jay... wai..."
>You bring over Autumn, then Winter, then Spring.
>Still, broken bits and fragments of the song.
>"Yuzz... Wum, Um, Humph... Fuddew."
>And now they are making up letters.
>Better stop this now.
"It's allright if you don't remember yet."
"I just wanted you to all know that Holiday had written all her A-B-C's"
>"Dee, Eee, Heff, Jeee-" Sang a tuneful voice.
>Christmas, of his own initiative, had wobbled over.
>"Aich, Aye, Jay, Kai, Ell, Emm, Enn, Oh, Pee.." He continued. But now Autumn had joined in.
>As he progressed his way through the alphabet, the other fluffies joined in, each picking up at a point where they recognized the tune.
>By the time "Dubbah-Yuu Ecks, Wai an' Zee" rolled through, Even spring was singing with Christmas.
>At the end, you got a full disharmony of six fluffies asking you to sing with them.
>You give them all spaghetti that night for the first time.