Reading Chrysanthemum and exploring our own perfect names

One of the most meaningful first words to a child is his or her own name. The story of “Chrysanthemum,” by Kevin Henkes, is about a little girl whose name is Chrysanthemum which, according to her parents, is the perfect name….

This book is such a wonderful book which presents all kinds of different messages you can build on but I chose to use the book as a way to emphasize how every child’s name is meaningful and special…

Because my preschool is not yet back in session, I shared this book with my three year old nephew and we followed up the book by exploring his name in a couple of ways…

Name Puzzle 

First we talked about how Wyatt has a perfect name and then I invited Wyatt to join me at the table to explore the letters of his name. On the table was Wyatt’s name fully written out and in the basket were the letters of his name on separate cards…

Wyatt explored each letter of his name for a few minutes as he put the name puzzle back together in his own way…

Name Painting

Our next activity was a simple name painting…

I printed Wyatt’s name in large print on a sheet of white drawing paper and Wyatt used a dot shaped sponge dipped in tempera paint to decorate his name…

As Wyatt and I explored his name together through our experiences today, we discovered that Wyatt’s name is absolutely perfect!

AugustSummerVirtualBookClub

This book is just one of many Kevin Henkes books being shared today.  Please take a minute to check out the blog hop below and feel free to add your links to any Kevin Henkes inspired posts as well. 

 

There are a few rules for this blog hop that we ask you to follow, so make sure to read them:
  1. Link up only posts inspired by Kevin Henkes that share children’s book inspired crafts, activities, recipes, etc. Any other posts will be deleted.
  2. Visit other blog posts on the linky and comment on or share the ones you love!
  3. Add our Virtual Book Club button (shown above) to your post if you’d like.
Remember, if you are viewing this blog post by email, you will have to come to the blog to view the additional links being shared in the blog hop below…

Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

Subscribe to My Newsletter

Latest Blog Posts

P is for Pizza!

While learning about the letter “P” we decided to explore with pizza! Pizza is an all-time favorite food for many preschoolers, and activities involving pizza

Read More »