Your Name is a Song Writing Activity

Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow is a book that celebrates the unique differences in names by using vivid illustrations and poetic language. In this blog post, I will share the benefits of reading this book to your students and free name-writing activity.

Your Name is a Song Synopsis

After school, Kora-Jalimuso (K0-rah-DJAA-lee-M00-so) tells her mom that she doesn’t want to return because no one could say her name correctly, including her teacher. As they walk home, her mother poetically teaches her the beauty and rhyme of names. By the end of the story, Kora-Jalimuso learns to appreciate her name and the names of her classmates.

This book is an enjoyable read-aloud. There will definitely be students that connect with the main character’s feelings on a personal level.

Writing Booklet Freebie - Students practice writing their names using different writing tools

Before you read the book, you may want to hear the correct pronunciation of the names included. Check out this YouTube video of the author pronouncing all the names in the book.

My name is usually mispronounced, too!

Some students come from cultures and families where names are important, unique and may not be so easy to pronounce. This may cause some students to feel shy about their names, especially if it is constantly mispronounced. I would know because I was one of those students.

My name is Tiauna (Tee – on – nah) and it’s usually mispronounced. Most people pronounce it Tee- wand – nah. I’ll never forget hearing my name mispronounced during my 5th-grade graduation. Can you imagine walking across the stage to accept your diploma and your principal saying your name incorrectly?

After that moment, I always wished I had an easier name to pronounce. I struggled with my name until Disney’s Princess and the Frog came out and her name was Tiana. Although her name is spelled differently, it is pronounced the same as mine.

I’m glad there are books like this one around. I would have loved to have had a teacher read a book that celebrated students’ unique names.

The Biggest Takeaways From this Book

Encourage students to say the correct pronunciation of their name every single time it is mispronounced.
Ask students to say their name. Let them pronounce their name first to avoid confusion later on.

Name Writing Booklet

Here’s an optional follow-up name activity you can do with your students after reading this book.

Have students practice writing their names three times using different writing tools. This will help them spell and write their names correctly. This activity will come in handy during the beginning of the year.