Yardley bounced into the bright kindergarten classroom. Miss Allen smiled warmly. "Welcome, Yardley! Please sit on the circle rug." But Yardley ran to the bookshelf instead. He grabbed blocks and tossed them in the air. "Wheee!" he shouted. Miss Allen walked over gently. "Yardley, in our classroom, we keep blocks on the shelf unless we're building," she said. Yardley looked at the colorful blocks scattered everywhere. He hadn't meant to make a mess.

During story time, Yardley jumped up and ran circles around the rug. The other children couldn't see the book. "Yardley, running is for outside," Miss Allen said. "Inside, we use walking feet." Yardley stopped and tilted his head. "But running is fun!" he said. Miss Allen nodded. "It is! We'll run at recess. Right now, let's walk." She showed him how to walk slowly. Yardley tried taking small steps. It felt funny, but Miss Allen clapped. "Perfect walking feet!" she said.

At music time, Yardley climbed onto the small stage. "Look at me!" he called. Then he jumped off with a big leap. Miss Allen rushed over. "Yardley, that's dangerous! You could get hurt." Yardley's eyes widened. He hadn't thought about that. "The stage is for singing, not jumping," Miss Allen explained. "Jumping is for the playground." Yardley looked at his feet. "I just wanted to fly," he whispered. Miss Allen smiled. "I know. Let's save flying for outside."

Miss Allen asked everyone to get their crayons. Yardley heard her but wanted to finish his tower. He stacked another block. "Yardley, did you hear me?" Miss Allen asked. Yardley nodded but didn't move. Miss Allen knelt beside him. "When I give directions, I need you to follow them right away." Yardley sighed. His tower wasn't done! "We can finish your tower later," Miss Allen promised. "Right now, it's crayon time." Yardley slowly got up and found his crayons.

During center time, Yardley walked past another child and patted his head. The boy frowned. "Stop that!" he said. Yardley laughed and poked the boy's arm. The boy moved away looking upset. Miss Allen came over quickly. "Yardley, we keep our hands to ourselves." Yardley didn't understand why. "I was just playing," he said. Miss Allen explained, "Not everyone likes to be touched. We need to ask first and respect their space." Yardley looked at the unhappy boy and felt bad.

Miss Allen sat with Yardley at the quiet table. "How do you think that boy felt when you touched him?" she asked. Yardley thought hard. "Sad?" he guessed. Miss Allen nodded. "Maybe uncomfortable too. What can we do?" Yardley knew the answer. "Say sorry?" Miss Allen smiled. "That's a good start." They walked over together. "I'm sorry I touched you," Yardley said quietly. The boy looked up. "It's okay. Just ask next time." Yardley nodded. He would remember that.

At snack time, Yardley ran to be first in line. He pushed past two children. "Yardley, please go to the back," Miss Allen said firmly. "We wait our turn." Yardley's shoulders drooped. Waiting was so hard! He walked slowly to the end of the line. Miss Allen noticed his effort. "Thank you for walking and finding your spot," she said. Yardley stood still, watching others get their crackers. When his turn came, the crackers tasted extra good. Waiting had been worth it.

Yardley felt the urge to run during quiet reading time. His legs wanted to move! But he remembered Miss Allen's words. He took a deep breath and stayed on his carpet square. Miss Allen noticed. "Yardley, I see you making a good choice," she said. Yardley felt proud. It was hard to sit still, but he was doing it! "Can I pick a book?" he asked. Miss Allen nodded. Yardley walked carefully to the shelf. He chose a book about planes and returned to his spot.

Another child accidentally knocked over Yardley's puzzle. Yardley felt angry and raised his hand. Then he stopped. "Hey! You wrecked my puzzle!" he said with words instead. The child looked sorry. "It was an accident. I'll help you fix it." Miss Allen watched from nearby. She gave Yardley a thumbs up. He had used his words instead of his hands! Together, the two boys rebuilt the puzzle. It was even more fun with help. Yardley smiled at his new approach.

At recess, Yardley finally got to run! He raced across the playground, arms spread wide. "Now I can fly!" he shouted happily. Miss Allen laughed. "Yes! This is the perfect place for running." Yardley climbed and slid and jumped off the low platform onto the soft mulch. Everything he couldn't do inside, he could do here! When the whistle blew, Yardley lined up quickly. He had gotten all his energy out. Going inside would be easier now.

During afternoon circle time, Yardley sat criss-cross on his spot. He raised his hand to share. "I ran at recess!" he announced proudly. Miss Allen smiled. "You did! And you've been using walking feet inside all afternoon." Yardley beamed. He had followed so many rules today! "You're learning what makes school safe and fun for everyone," Miss Allen said. Yardley nodded. He was starting to understand. School had rules, but they helped everyone feel good. He could do this!

On Friday, Miss Allen gathered the class. "I'm proud of someone who has worked very hard this week." She looked at Yardley. "Yardley has learned to walk inside, keep his hands to himself, and follow directions." Yardley sat up tall. Miss Allen gave him a special sticker. "You're becoming a wonderful kindergartener," she said. Yardley looked at his shiny sticker. School was hard sometimes, but he was learning. He couldn't wait to come back Monday and show Miss Allen how well he could do.