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Alma and How She Got Her Name



Last updated Thursday, December 8, 2022

Author: Juana Martinez-Neal
Date of Publication: 2018
ISBN: 0763693553
Grade Level: Kindergarten    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Dec. 2022

Synopsis: If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; Jose, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all - and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Raise you hand if you live your name
•  Raise your hand if you have a middle name.
•  Do you know that all of us has different names?
•  We are going to read a story about a girl who has SIX NMES! Wow!!!
•  #very name has a different meaning or story and we will see why she has so many names.

Vocabulary:

•  Poetry - writings using song or rhythm
•  Sailor - Person who works on a ship
•  Ancestry - Origin of where your family came from (example: my ancestors are from Italy, Ireland, and Russia)

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you know the meaning of your name? There are books that list meanings
•  How did you get your name?
•  Let's remember all Alma's names: Alma - KIND; Sophia - WISDOM; Esperanza - Hope, her grandmother's name; Jose - her grandfather's name; Pura - her Grandmother's favorite flower, and Cordela - her family's last name

Craft ideas:
•  Let's make a NAME SIGN with 1. Choose color paper, 2. Choose crayones, pencils, markers 3. Cut up paper in different shapes to decorate your name poster ---- if you can bring stickers from home bring them for our kindergarten craft)

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!