The Power of a Name: Building Identity and Literacy in First Grade

GSB First Graders welcomed family and friends to Evans Hall on Thursday, November 21, 2024, for their Family Name Celebration—a culmination of weeks of learning that blended the social studies and Pollyanna curriculum with foundational literacy skill-building. 

From the very first days of school, First Graders dove into the meaning of their names, exploring their origins and significance as part of the unit. This thoughtful exploration not only deepened their understanding of themselves, their families, and their peers but also laid the groundwork for meaningful connections to reading and writing skill development. 

“The object of the lesson is to encourage the students to develop a positive self-image and a deeper awareness of themselves,” Lower School Teacher Anne Wilson explained. “We begin each morning by greeting one another by name, so that everyone's name is heard, and everyone is noticed.” 

These daily greetings set the tone for literacy activities that were woven into the study of names. Students tapped out the syllables of their names to build phonological awareness, honed their fine motor skills by practicing penmanship as they wrote their names with precision, and recognized their names in word searches to develop sight word familiarity. They even constructed their names out of puzzle pieces, blending tactile and visual learning. 

“Everything in First Grade is interconnected,” Wilson said. “You don’t write in isolation. What began as a simple social studies lesson on family and identity naturally evolved into reading, writing, and even oral presentation skills. By the end, the students had written stories about their names to share with their families.” 

Creating these stories involved several integrated steps. Students conducted interviews with family members to learn about the origins of their names, translating oral histories into written text. This process strengthened their ability to organize ideas and express themselves in writing. Finally, they read their poems aloud during the celebration, building confidence in public speaking and reading fluency. 

“Now that we are a few months into this lesson and the students have really digested the information, they are very proud of their names,” Wilson shared. “Names are so special and unique. When it came time to read their stories, they did fantastic.” 

By linking social studies with literacy, GSB First Graders not only celebrated their identities but also took significant strides in their reading and writing journeys—developing skills that will serve as a foundation for future learning.