First-graders are a rambunctious bunch. They are social, emotional, curious and loud.

They are always ready to play and most are exceptionally eager to learn.

The behavior of first-graders at the Greene Central School, although distressing to parents and challenging for teachers and school administrators, is not unique to these 40 children.

“There are kids in every school who have a hard time adjusting to school, or a big challenge,” according to Cathie Fallona of the University of Southern Maine’s Department of Teacher Education.

This is not an American problem. It’s a human problem.

In Tokyo, there’s a word for it: “shoichi puroburemu,” which translates to “first-grade students’ problems.”

According to The Daily Yomiuri, “Primary school teachers frequently find it hard to manage first-grade classes, as children who are unable to adapt to a new school’s surroundings walk around classrooms and talk during class time.

“A number of teachers are reluctant to take charge of such classes.”

Sounds like the atmosphere at Greene Central School.

Japan is working to solve the problem by assigning more temporary teaching assistants in classrooms and by being more diligent about facilitating students’ transition to first grade.

Transition is tough for anybody at any age, but especially so for youngsters who haven’t been forced to make many transitions and don’t have the coping skills to accept change gracefully.

Years ago, kindergarten and first grade were used to socialize students and to prepare them for academics to come. Now, school systems in much of the world assume children are socialized from day care and pre-K programs and are prepared to button down in class. “The academic stakes are higher,” according to Fallona, for teachers and for students.

While a lot of children have developed group dynamic skills, such as sharing and waiting in line, before entering first-grade, they’re still 6 years old. And 6-year-olds are rambunctious. The first-graders at Greene Central haven’t really “gone wild.” They’re just acting their age.

The problem is not the children. The problem is really how adults – first parents and then teachers – help these children learn to behave. If that means teaching assistants in classrooms, then that’s what SAD 52 should do. If it means more time spent helping the children transition into first grade, like multiple tours of the school, picnics at school to meet children and teachers in the weeks leading up to the new school year, and perhaps even providing additional training to first-grade teachers to respond to the special challenges of their pupils, then that’s what must be done.

And, perhaps the school district might consider reaching out to parents of 2- and 3-year-olds and to explain the expectations in the classroom once their children are old enough for school, and then offer help to meet these expectations if help is needed.

First-graders in Greene are most likely to move through their school years with many of the same students. Getting that group dynamic off to the right start in first grade will enhance their relationships with their peers and make them better students. That’s not something the students can do themselves. That responsibility rests with parents and school administrators.