Mom’s first question when she met her great granddaughter was “What’s her name?“
Her name is Leah Odette, but for now, she’s also affectionately known by the nicknames Nugget, Nuggs, Sweet Pea, Cutie Pie, Leah Bean and Leah Bear. It’s not likely that those will stick as she ages and it is likely that she’ll have an opinion about which nicknames, if any, she’d like for us to use, a topic that Birdie & Mipps tackles by talking our readers through self-advocacy, kindness and respect.
Sesame Street also has a few clips that address the importance of names {The Name Song, Your Name Is Very Important, and Our Names Are Special} that you can share before or after your Birdie & Mipps read-aloud, to enrich your discussion.
Use these clips to cultivate self-awareness and caring connections as your learners share how their parents/caregivers chose their names, what their nickname (if they have one) is, and what name, if any, they really like or wish they had. Invite them to create a bumper sticker, T-shirt logo, or PSA showcasing their name and what it symbolizes to them and what they want it to stand for or mean to the world.
Then compare and contrast these titles around this timeless topic.
For other ideas, check out the enrichment pages in the back of our book.
Be creative and enJOY the synergy as you step into and get acquainted with one another’s stories.
Barbara Gruener 