Ten-year-old Joie knows what she would tell Chrysanthemum’s classmates.
“We shouldn’t make fun of other people’s names because everyone’s name is cool,” she said.
Joie was one of the young readers across six National CORE affordable housing communities who recently read Chrysanthemum, through Hope through Housing’s Read with Kids program.
The story follows a young mouse named Chrysanthemum who loves her name until classmates begin teasing her about it. As children followed her journey, they practiced their reading skills while thinking about how words can affect the way someone feels about themselves.
Building those literacy skills early can have a lasting impact. Children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma, according to research cited by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Through Read with Kids, Hope through Housing creates opportunities for children across National CORE affordable housing communities to strengthen their literacy skills while exploring lessons that extend beyond the pages of a book.
For Jasemine, 8, Chrysanthemum encouraged her to think about how it would feel to be treated the same way.
“Don’t make fun of anyone’s name because you wouldn’t like it if they did that to you,” Jasemine said.
Manik, 9, came away with a lesson about being proud of who you are.
“Don’t switch your name because your name is meant for you,” he said.
