Teen Reads to Elementary Students
Hi! I'm Asher Ridzinski, sophmore at St. Mark's School of Texas.
A few weeks ago, I held my first financial literacy session using the book Sammy’s Big Dream. To give some context, I work with FLAME (Financial Literacy Advancement, Mentorship, and Education), a non-profit dedicated to teaching kids and teens about financial literacy. One of the ways we do this is through Sammy Rabbit’s books, which are a fantastic tool for introducing children to essential financial concepts like saving and investing.
For my session, I planned and led a reading at the Wesley-Rankin Community Center in Dallas, working with a group of about 25 kids from 1st to 3rd grade. Planning and preparing for the session was easy. I followed Sammy Rabbit’s guidelines, which included creating an agenda, practicing the read-aloud, and selecting an engaging activity for after the reading to reinforce the lesson. This preparation helped ensure a smooth and impactful experience for the kids and myself.
I started the session by introducing myself and explaining that we’d be learning about saving—working hard for something you can’t get right now but really want in the future. As I read Sammy’s Big Dream, I engaged the kids by asking what they already knew about saving and money. Many were excited to talk about virtual currencies in video games, which I used as a bridge to help them understand real-world money management. By connecting the lesson to their personal interests, both the book and I made a stronger impact.
After the story, I gave them an activity: draw something they want to save up for, just like Sammy Rabbit did in the book. Their creativity was inspiring—some drew flowers, a PlayStation 5, and even a Wingstop! Others, thinking ahead, sketched colleges and houses, showing an understanding of saving for long-term goals. While their drawings varied, they all reflected an important takeaway: saving money can shape one’s future.
Overall, my experience reading a Sammy Rabbit book to kids was incredible. Not only did the students enjoy the activity and learn valuable life lessons, but I also found it deeply rewarding to share my knowledge and resources with them. I highly recommend hosting a Sammy Rabbit reading and financial education experience in your community. You can do it at a school, library, or youth club—it’s a wonderful way to help kids develop good money habits early in life.
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Attention Young Leaders
We welcome and invite you to participate in Sammy's 'Be the Change' financial literacy initiative for college and high school students.
(1) Join peers advancing awareness on the importance of early age, youth, and family financial education by having your journey into financial literacy featured as a Sammy Rabbit Guest Blogger.
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