ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Vooks Storybooks Little Girl, Big Dream! | Activity + Read Aloud Kids Book
Have you ever dreamed of doing something amazing? One of my dreams is to be a swim coach because I love seeing kids smile. Samantha Peschik had a big dream too, and she didn’t give up. She even went to the Olympics! Let’s learn about her story in the book “Little Girl, Big Dream.”
Little Samantha Peschik loved gymnastics more than her toys, even more than ice cream! When she was just five years old, she watched the Olympics with her mom and dad. Her favorite part was the gymnastics competitions. She loved watching the athletes on the floor, the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. Right then, Samantha had a big dream: “I’m going to be an Olympian!” she shouted. Her mom and dad encouraged her, saying, “Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha knew she had to be the best gymnast to be an Olympian. So, she practiced a lot and kept dreaming. Her mom helped her hang the word “DREAM” in her room to remind her of her goal. In her room, she would close her eyes and pretend she was competing in front of the world, just like the Olympians on TV.
Samantha told everyone about her dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast. She got better and better, except for one thing: the balance beam. She would climb onto the beam, put her arms in the air, take a deep breath, bend her knees to jump, and then… nothing. She was too afraid to do it.
This made Samantha very upset. “I have to be the best, or else I won’t go to the Olympics!” she said. Her mom told her, “You have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha remembered this when she went to bed, looking at the word “dream” on her wall. She told herself, “I can do anything. I won’t give up.” With the help of her new coach, Peter, she finally overcame her fears. With Peter’s coaching and her parents’ love, Samantha felt unstoppable.
Next stop: Nationals. But when it was time to compete, Samantha made a few mistakes and didn’t make the team; she became an alternate. She was very upset. “I’m so mad I didn’t win,” she said on the way home. Her parents said, “We don’t love you because you win; we love you because we love you. Dream big, Samantha! You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha kept practicing and dreaming. Finally, the day came—the day she had dreamed about since she was five years old. She made the Olympic team! But then, something terrible happened: she hurt her ankle while practicing. She was very upset, but she remembered her mom and dad’s words: “I have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. I’m not loved because I win; I’m loved because I’m me.”
Maybe being the best doesn’t always mean winning the gold medal. Samantha thought that maybe being the best version of herself meant supporting her team. She cheered on her teammates, telling them, “You can do it! Dream big! You can do anything you set your mind to.” And they did!
Even with her hurt ankle, she competed in the uneven bars, and it was her best routine ever. She stood on the Olympic podium and was awarded a silver medal. Everyone cheered for her and her team.
Today, Samantha coaches kids just like you and reminds them to keep dreaming, keep practicing, and keep supporting each other. Do you have a dream like Samantha?
If you don’t have books, what are you waiting for? Books are a kid’s safe, ad-free library full of stories brought to life. Ask your grown-up to download books now; you’ll be glad you did!
Dream Collage: Create a collage of your big dreams! Gather old magazines, newspapers, or print pictures from the internet with the help of an adult. Cut out images and words that represent your dreams and goals, just like Samantha had the word “DREAM” in her room. Glue them onto a piece of paper or cardboard to make your dream collage. Share your collage with your family or friends and explain what each picture means to you.
Balance Beam Challenge: Set up a “balance beam” at home using a piece of tape on the floor or a long piece of cardboard. Practice walking across it, just like Samantha did. Try doing it with your eyes closed or while holding a small object in your hand. Think about how Samantha felt when she was afraid and how she overcame her fear. What helped her? How do you feel when you try something new or challenging?
Dream Journal: Start a dream journal where you can write or draw about your dreams and goals. Each day, write down one thing you did to get closer to your dream, just like Samantha practiced gymnastics every day. Reflect on any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Remember, it’s okay to have bad days, and you can always try again tomorrow!
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript, removing any unnecessary repetitions, filler words, and maintaining clarity:
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Have you ever had a really big dream? One of my big dreams is to be a swim coach because I love seeing smiles on kids’ faces. Samantha Peschik had big dreams too, and she didn’t give up. She ended up going to the Olympics! Check out her story in the book “Little Girl, Big Dream.”
Little Samantha Peschik loved gymnastics more than toys, even more than ice cream. When she was just five years old, she watched the Olympics for the first time with her mom and dad. Her favorite part was the gymnastics competitions. She loved the way the athletes moved on the floor, the vault, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. It was right then and there that Samantha had a big dream: “I’m going to be an Olympian!” she shouted. Her mom and dad encouraged her, saying, “Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha thought that to be an Olympian, she had to be the very best gymnast. So, she practiced and dreamed. She even had her mom help her hang the word “DREAM” in her room to remind her of her goal. In her room, she would close her eyes and pretend to compete in front of the world, just like the Olympians on TV.
She told everyone about her dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast. The more Samantha practiced, the better she got, except for one event: the balance beam. She would climb onto the beam, put her arms in the air, take a deep breath, bend her knees to jump, and then… nothing. For some reason, she was too afraid to do it.
This made Samantha very upset. “I have to be the best, or else I won’t be able to go to the Olympics!” she said. Her mom looked at her and said, “You have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha remembered this when she went to bed at night, staring at the word “dream” on her wall. She told herself, “I can accomplish anything. I won’t give up no matter what.” It was time to keep trying at that scary balance beam. With the help of her new coach, Peter, she finally overcame her fears. With Peter’s coaching and her parents’ love, Samantha felt unbeatable.
Next stop: Nationals. But when it was time to compete, Samantha made a couple of mistakes and didn’t make the team; she became an alternate. She was very upset again. “I’m so mad I didn’t win,” she mumbled on the drive home. Her parents said, “We don’t love you because you win; we love you because we love you. Dream big, Samantha! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”
Samantha kept practicing and dreaming. Finally, the day came—the day she had dreamed about since she was five years old. She made the Olympic team! She was all set to compete when something terrible happened: while practicing right before the competition, Samantha hurt her ankle. She was very upset, but then she remembered her mom and dad’s words: “I have to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. I’m not loved because I win; I’m loved because I’m me.”
Maybe being the very best doesn’t always mean winning the gold medal. Samantha thought that maybe being the best version of herself today meant supporting her team. She cheered on her teammates during their routines, telling them, “You can do it! Dream big! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” And they did!
Even with her hurt ankle, she was able to compete in the uneven bars, and it was her best routine ever. She stood on the Olympic podium and was awarded a silver medal. She watched as everyone cheered for her and her team.
Today, Samantha coaches kids just like you and reminds them to keep dreaming, keep practicing, and keep supporting each other. Do you have a dream like Samantha?
If you don’t have books, then what are you waiting for? Books are a kid’s safe, ad-free library full of stories brought to life. Ask your grown-up to download books now; you’ll be glad you did!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring clarity and conciseness.
