"Say My Name" book by Joanna Ho: Importance of Students' Names
Ideas for WIDA Levels 1 & 2 at any grade level
I recently heard about a lovely book by author Johanna Ho illustrated by Khoa Le. In the book, Ho shares the importance of pronouncing children’s names. The description explains…
“the beauty, meaning, and history behind the names of six different children —exploring their cultures and ethnicities, and emphasizing the importance of identity and saying names correctly.”
Short video with Joanna Ho
What a great book to read to all children from K-12 as well as teachers and administrators!
Here are a few examples of what you can do after reading this book with WIDA Level 1 & 2 students:
Character Descriptions: In small groups, assign one character from the book. The groups can label or describe the main characters from the book in short phrases, including their physical appearance, names, and actions. Encourage them to use simple sentences.
Character Feelings: Show the illustration of each character in pairs, have students share how the characters in the book feel at different points in the story. Provide emotion cards (happy, sad, scared, etc.) and ask students to identify the characters' feelings in specific scenes.
Role-Play: In small groups, assign students to create role-play scenarios based on the book's events. This can help students practice speaking and using dialogue in context. Provide sentence frames to guide them.
Character Identification: Introduce the main characters by showing pictures and using simple sentences to describe them. Have students point to or repeat the names of the characters when mentioned in the book.
Other ideas?
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