Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Life is Special 2

I am Special 6

Everyone is Special 10

Others and Me 16

Making Good Choices 22

Caring for My Body 26

Protecting My Body 30

Learning About Touch 34

Being a True Friend 38

Reviewing What I Have Learned 42

Quiz 46

Letter to Adults 48

Lower Primary Edition

ISBN 978-0-9785849-2-4 English

Copyright © 2006 by Hope Education
All rights reserved.
info@hopeeducation.org
 Introduction
We want you to know that you are special. Did you
know that? You are!
This is your I Matter book. We hope you
like it. It is a gift for you to keep. It has
fun stories and pictures. You can read the
stories many times. After each story, there
are fun activities to do.
You should share this book with others.
You can share it with your brothers,
sisters, or friends. There is also a
letter for the adults who take care
of you on page 48.
We hope you enjoy this book.
And remember – you matter!

1
 Learning Assessment
Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 2 4
1 3 3
2 1 2
3 3 2

1
on
s

Life is Special
Les

Phila and Musa sat outside with Grandmother. They were

looking at the night sky.
Grandmother told them a story. It was the first story ever
told. It was a true story about God.
“In the very beginning there were no stars, no moon, and no
sun. There was not even any land or water,” said Grandmother.

2
 Then she told them how God made everything. He gave life to
many of the things he made. He made the earth, the flowers, and
the trees. He made all of the animals and fish. These all have life.
“But the most special thing that God made was people,” said
Grandmother. “God loves people very much. He wants all of them
to become his children.”
Did you know that the first man and woman
could talk with God? Phila and Musa learned

3
that they can talk with God too. God gave them
life. They are special to him.
 n 1
s o

Activities
Les

1
Only God can make something out of NOTHING!
Circle the pictures that show things that only God
can make.

4
2 Draw a line from something God made to something
people can make with it.

3 Trace the lines to find something that only God can

give.

5
 2
s on
Les

I am Special

Learning Assessment
Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 2 4 Musa was sad. His father
1 3 2,3 was gone, and his mother had
2 3 1,3
3 3 1,5
died. Sometimes it made him
cry.
Grandmother wanted Musa to know that he was very
special. She decided to tell him a story. It was about a
little caterpillar. Her name was Painted One.
She lived with other caterpillars in a tree. The others
grew big and strong. They moved away to other trees.
Painted One felt sad and alone.
One day she met a praying mantis. He was so pretty
and green. His legs looked like he was praying. Painted
One said, “I wish I was special too.”

Then at last Painted One began to

6
grow. She ate and ate. Soon she became
very sleepy.
 She went
to rest on a
twig. A cocoon
formed around
her. It was like a soft blanket. Painted
One fell asleep for a very long time.
When she woke up she had two long black legs.
She was very surprised! She tried to get out of the
cocoon, but now it was hard.
She called for help. A bird came, but he said,
“I cannot help you. You must break it yourself. It will make
your wings strong.”
Painted One was excited. She did not know she had
wings. She pushed very hard and the cocoon opened.
Painted One saw that she had two pretty blue wings!
She moved them back and forth. She could fly!
“Look! I have wings!” she cried. “God made me
special!”
“You were always special,” the bird told her.
“You just did not believe it.”
Then Painted One knew that God had always
had a special plan for her. Even when she had felt
sad and alone, God had a good plan.
Grandmother told Musa and Phila,
“God has a special plan
for you too. He will
always take good care of
you!”
7
 n 2
s o

Activities
Les

1
Look outside
or go for a walk.
Find one special
thing that
God made.
Now draw it!

God made you special. Painted One was different from

2 other butterflies. You are different from your friends. You
may like to do different things. Circle three things that
you like to do.

drawing
cleaning reading

playing sports
running
writing

sewing

8 playing with friends

cooking
3 Painted One was a caterpillar. Then she became a
butterfly. What do you want to become when you grow
up? Circle one of the pictures or draw one of your own.

teacher

nurse athlete

doctor police

truck farmer
driver

parent
9
 3
on

s
Les Everyone is Special
Phila did not want to go to school with the other children. She
did not feel very special.
Learning Assessment
Grandmother reminded Phila that Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 3 2
she had been made by God. That made 1 3/2 2,3,4/3
her very special. Then she told Phila and 2 3/2 1,4/3
Musa a story about a lion and a monkey. 3 3/2 1,2/3

The monkey was not happy. He did not feel special. He wanted
to be like the lion.
He was jealous of the lion’s beautiful mane. The lion was big
and strong. His legs could jump high into the air. The monkey was
jealous. He did not have a mane. He could not jump like the lion.
The monkey told lies about the lion. He said that the lion was
going to kill all of the other creatures.
“Go to the other side of the mountain,” warned the monkey.
“You will be safe there.”
Soon everyone was running away.

10
 The lion was swimming in the lake on top of the
mountain. He did not know what the monkey had done.
The monkey waited in a tree by the lake. When the
lion came out of the water he dropped a vine around
the lion’s neck. The lion could not run away.
Just then, a big storm began. The lightning
started a fire on the other side of the
mountain.
The monkey felt bad. He had sent everyone
there. Now they would die in the fire. Someone
must warn them. But the monkey knew he could
not reach them in time.
The lion had an idea. The monkey and the
lion would have to work together.
“Untie me and get on my back,” said the lion.
The monkey untied the lion and got on his back. The lion swam
quickly down the river towards the fire.
When they arrived there was a lot of smoke. The monkey
moved safely along the ground beneath the smoke. He hurried to
warn all of the animals that the fire was coming. “Follow me to the
water,” he called. “You will be safe there.” And they all did just
that.
Everyone was afraid when they saw the lion at the water. The
monkey told them that he had lied. He told them how he and the
lion had worked together to save them.
Soon rain began to fall.
The fire stopped. All of
the animals were safe.
That day the
monkey learned that
everyone was special,

11
including him!
 n 3
s o

Activities
Les

Follow the

1 numbers to find
the lion and
the monkey.

12
2 Draw a line from the animal to the sentence that
describes it.

I have a beautiful mane.

I can swing quickly

through the trees.

I can jump very high.

I am a strong swimmer.

I use my fingers to pick fruit.

I have fingers and toes.

13
3 Think of a special friend. Draw a picture of something
that your friend likes to do.

14
4 Draw a picture of you and at least one other person
working together to do something good.

15
 4
on
s
Others
Les
Learning Assessment
Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 2/3 1/3

and Me
1 3/2,3 3/2,3
2 1,2/5 1,2/5
3 3/5 3/5

One night, Phila

and Musa sat by the
window watching the
rain. They saw a small
light moving near the
window. It made Phila
scream.
“It is a firefly,”
Grandmother laughed.
“Come sit down. I have a
story about that.”

The children sat down as

Grandmother began her story:
A hunter left his village to find
food. On his way home there was a
great storm. The man could not see
where he was going. He prayed, “God,
please help me find my way home.”

16
 Nearby there lived a family of
fireflies. Their bodies made light
that glowed in the night. “Son,” the
father firefly said, “You must help
the hunter. Your light can lead him
home.”
The hunter did not think that
such a little firefly could help him.
He tried to make him go away. At
last the man realised that God had
sent the firefly to show him where
to go.

They traveled all night. When the

sun rose, the hunter saw his village.
The people were very happy to
see that the hunter was safe.
“I was lost,” the great hunter
said, “But this little firefly helped
me!”
“Just like the firefly, we must
always do what we can to help
others,” Grandmother said.

17
 n 4
s o

Activities
Les

1 There are five fireflies hiding in this picture.

Find and circle each one.

18
2 Here are some of the ways you can help others. Draw a
line from the list to the picture that matches it.

wash the dishes

sweep the floor

pick up trash

clean up
the classroom

help the sick

respect your elders

19
3 Draw a happy face in the circle beside the children
that are helping.

Draw a sad face in the circle beside the others.

20
4
Phila and Musa learned two important lessons from
Grandmother’s story.
Read the two sentences below. Fill in the blanks with the
word that will complete each sentence.
The missing words are small and others.

It is important to
help others,
even when we are
_____.

True happiness
comes from
helping
______.

21
 5
on
s
Making Good Choices
Les

Learning Assessment Musa and Phila saw a hyena. They

Grade Outcome/s Standard/s ran home to tell Grandmother.
R 1/2/3 4/4/3
1 3 1 “It looked ugly and mean,” they
2 3 4
3 1/3/3 4/3/4
said. “It even laughed at us!”
“Where did you see the hyena?”
Grandmother asked. “Did you go over the hill? I told you it is not
safe to play there.”
“No, we did not go there,” they answered.
Grandmother said, “I trust you. Let
me tell you a pretend story. It is
about the hyena and its laugh.”
Grandmother told them about
a hyena who lied to the other animals.
He would tell them that a fire was coming. It made
them afraid. They would run away. The hyena would
laugh because he had fooled the other animals.
But one day there really was a fire. It was very
bad. The hyena tried to warn the animals. They knew that the
hyena always told them lies. This time they did not believe him.

22
 Then a bird saw the fire. He told the
animals that it was true. A fire was coming!
The animals ran very fast up the
mountain. They were safe, but they
were very sad. Their homes had all been
burned.
The hyena and his friends were not
sorry for what they had done. The lion
said, “You have done a very bad thing.
You will never talk with the other
animals again. You will only be able to make an ugly laugh.”
The hyenas tried to answer, but they could not. They only
made an ugly laugh just like the lion said. They hung their tails
between their legs and ran away.
Grandmother finished her story and
said, “The hyenas thought it was fun to
lie. This was a bad choice. It did not
make them happy.”
Phila looked sad. “Grandmother,”
she said, “we went over the hill today.
We did not tell the truth. I am sorry.”
“I am sorry too,” said Musa.
“I forgive you,” Grandmother
said as she gave them each a
big hug.

23
 n 5
s o

Activities
Les

1 Draw a circle around each one in the story who made a

good choice.

Phila and Musa lied.

The hyena lied.

The bird warned his friends.

Phila and Musa said they were sorry.

Grandma forgave the children.

24
2 Draw an X over the pictures that show people making bad
choices.
lying
cheating

obeying

drinking looking at
helping alcohol bad pictures

sharing
stealing
smoking

3 You can make good choices just like Phila and Musa!
Draw a picture of you making a good choice.

25
 6
on

s
Les Caring for My Body
One day a stranger stopped
Phila and Musa as they were
walking. He offered some food to
Phila.
Grandmother had said to
never take anything from a
stranger. But Phila took the
food. She was hungry, and
it looked so good.

The man also tried to Learning Assessment

give a cigarette to Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 1/2 1/3
Musa. He said no 1 1/3 1,3,4/2
and walked away. 2 1/3 3/2
3 1/3 1,3/2,4
Phila felt
sick when she got home. The children told
Grandmother what had happened. She
decided to tell them a story while Phila rested
on her bed.
Grandmother’s story was about
a leopard. He was strong and
handsome. He could run very fast.
The leopard became proud and
lazy. He made the wild dogs do his work
for him. He did not run anymore.
Each day he rested in a
tree while the wild

26 dogs hunted for

his food.
 “I should be the king of the jungle!” the leopard decided. But
the wild dogs warned him that the lion could also run very fast.
“No one is faster than I!” the leopard cried.
So the lion agreed to race the leopard. The lion had taken
good care of his body. The leopard was fat and weak. He could
not run like he had before. The lion easily won the race.
“I am sorry. I have not been doing what is right,” the leopard
told the other animals. “I was made to run. From now on, I will
catch my own food. I will care for my body!”
Grandmother told the children, “Your body is a gift from
God. He wants you to take good care of it.”
“I am going to be a runner,” said Musa. “I will take good care
of my body! I want to be fast like a leopard.” And he ran out the
door.
Phila and Grandmother laughed. Then Phila
said, “I am sorry for taking food from a stranger.
I will take good care of my body from now on!”

27
 n 6
s o

Activities
Les

1 Help the lion find the fastest way to the finish line.
Find the fat leopard. Draw a circle around him.

28
2 Circle each picture that shows something that is good for
your body.

3
Use the words below to fill in the blanks of the sentences.
Read what Grandmother told Phila and Musa. Always
remember this important message!

you gift good body

“Your _ _ _ _ is a _ _ _ _ from God.

He wants _ _ _ to take _ _ _ _
care of it.”
29
 7
on

s
Les Protecting My Body
Learning Assessment
Phila and Musa were sleeping. Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
They did not hear a mother mosquito R 1 2,3
fly into their room. She quietly bit 1 1 2,3
2 1/3 3/2
Phila’s arm. Then she flew off to her 3 1/3 3/2
home near a pond.
“My arm itches!” said Phila when she woke up. “A mosquito
bit me while we were sleeping.”
The children wanted to catch the mosquito. They did not
want her to bite again. But she was already gone.
The next night the mosquito came back to their room. Her
children came with her. They sat on the window looking at Phila
and Musa sleep.
“Be careful when you are near to
people,” the mother mosquito said. “They do
not like us.”
“Why?” asked the little mosquitoes.
“Our bites make
them itch. Sometimes
our bites make them
sick,” said their
mother.
Just then,
Musa coughed.

30
 “Is the boy sick?” the mosquitoes asked.
“He might be sick from a little germ that has gotten into his
body,” said the mother. “Germs are too small to see. Germs can
make people very sick. One way to keep from getting sick from
germs is to wash your hands often.”
“Do people get HIV from the germs in the air or on their
hands?” asked one little mosquito.
“No, ” said mother. “Germs that are in the air or on our
hands can make people very sick. But these germs do not make
people sick with HIV.”
“Can mosquitoes make people sick with HIV?” asked another
little mosquito.
“No, people do not get HIV from mosquitoes,” she answered.
“They can only get HIV when one person’s blood or body fluids
touches the blood or body fluids of someone who has HIV.”
“We are glad we do not make people sick with HIV!” said the
little mosquitoes!
“Yes, and people do not need to be afraid of others who
have HIV. This is also very good news!” said their mother.

31
 n 7
s o

Activities
Les

1 Follow the numbers to see what you should always do

before eating and after using the toilet.

32
2 Here are some ways you cannot get HIV. Place the letter
A, O, or U in the blanks to finish the words.

Shaking
H_gging
h_nds

Fo_d A c_p

A
A t_ilet
mosquit_

3 The mother mosquito told her children the truth about

HIV. You can also tell others. Draw a picture of someone
you will tell about HIV.

33
 n 8
s o

Learning About Touch

Les

Learning Assessment
Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 1/2 5/3
1 1 5
2 2/3 3/4
3 1/2/3 4/3,4/4

Grandmother wanted
Phila and Musa to be safe.
She told them a story that
would help.
A young lion and female lion had
been friends since they were babies. The
female lion always felt safe when she was
with her friend.
But one day, the female lion went into
the forest alone. A bad lion found her
there. He came up very close to the female
lion. She did not like the way he tried to
touch her. She felt afraid.
A little bird saw what was happening.
She flew to the good lion and said, “Hurry!
You must help the female lion!”

34
 The lion ran into the forest. He chased the evil
lion away. Now the female lion was safe!
The good lions loved each other very much. Later
they became mates for life and had many children.

“I like the part about the

lions loving each other,” said
Phila. “But sometimes people
act like the bad lion.”
“Yes,” said Grandmother.
“Sometimes people even try to
do bad things to children.”
“What do I do if I meet
someone like the evil lion?”
Phila asked.
“You must tell them no!
And always tell me. I will
help you to be safe,” said

35
Grandmother.
 n 8
s o

Activities
Les

1 Finish the pictures to find two animals from

Grandmother’s story.

2 Find the special triangle.

Trace the dots to make a triangle
over the boy and girl. These
triangles show the part of your
body that is the most private.

36
 3 Complete the sentences.
Draw a line to complete the sentences. The first line has
been drawn for you.

God made boys’ and bad touch.

Touch that makes you and girls’ bodies

feel ashamed differently.

There is good touch is bad touch.

Who can you tell?

4 Who could you tell if a person tried to give you a bad
touch? Write the name of that person in the box:

Let them know that you will tell them if someone tries
to touch you in a bad way.

37
 9
on
s
Being a True Friend
Les

Learning Assessment
Grade Outcome/s Standard/s
R 1 3
1 1/3 3/2
2 1/2/3 3/3/3
3 1/2/3 3/3/3

Phila was very sad. Her

friend, Njabu, was sick. She had
HIV. Phila did not think she
could be her friend. Phila and
Musa told Grandmother what
had happened.
Grandmother said, “Do
not be afraid. You can still be
friends with Njabu. You do not
get HIV from others by being
friends. You can play with Njabu.
You can even give her a hug.”
Then Grandmother told the
children a story about being a
true friend. “One night a little
impala was lost,” she said. “A
female lion attacked her. The

38
impala got away. But she was
hurt very badly.
“Later another impala
walked by. But he did not
want to help.
“A kudu also came by. ‘I
do not want to get sick,’ he
said. ‘I will not help.’
“The impala was all alone
again. Then a tiny nyala saw
her. She ran to get help. She
and her friends took good
care of the impala.
“The impala was able to return to her home. Her family and
friends were so happy. They were glad that the nyala had been
kind.
“Who really needed a friend in this story?” asked
Grandmother.
“The little impala!” said the children.
“Yes, and who was a true friend to the sick impala?” asked
Grandmother.
“The nyala!” said Musa.
“I want to be like the nyala. I want
to be a true friend to Njabu,”
said Phila.

39
 n 9
s o

Activities
Les

1
Look at the pictures. Circle the ones that show how
you should treat people. Put an X over the picture of
the thing you should not do.

Play together
Be kind

Say unkind words

40
2 Trace the letters to find out something important.

Be kind.
Be caring.
Be safe.

3 Here are three ways to be safe. Draw a line from each

sentence to the picture that it matches.

Say no to a bad touch.

Do not touch an
open, bloody sore on
someone’s body.

Do not touch a used

syringe (needle).

41
 n 10
o
s
Reviewing
Les

Learning Assessment
Grade

What I have
Outcome/s Standard/s
R
1 Review of Review of
Learning Assessment
2 Outcomes in Standards in

Learned
3 Lessons 1-9 Lessons 1-9

Musa liked
to draw. One day
he drew pictures
of Grandmother’s
stories.
“They will help
me remember the
stories,” he told
Grandmother and
Phila.

“That is a very good idea!” said Grandmother.

One picture was of Adam and Eve. “They were the first
people God made,” said Musa.
“And look at the pretty butterfly!” Grandmother said.
“That is Painted One. She reminds me that God has a special
plan for each of us,” Musa said.
“Very good, Musa!” said Grandmother.
Musa showed them the
lion and the monkey. “They
remind me that
all of us are
special.”

42 “Yes, we all
have a job to do.
And we should
work together,” said Phila.
The firefly was right in the middle of Musa’s picture. “He was
little, but he helped the hunter,” said Musa. “I want to be like him!”
“Oh, I see the hyenas!” said Phila. “They learned about making
good choices.”
“And look at my fat leopard,” Musa said.
“Yes,” said Phila. “He learned to take good care of his body.”
Then Phila saw two lions smiling. “Two lions in love!” she said.
“I liked that part of the story!”
“And do you remember the bad lion, Phila?” asked
Grandmother.
“Yes, I do,” said Phila. “People can act like the bad lion too. We
will always tell you if we meet someone like that!”
The little mosquitos were also in Musa’s picture. “They taught
us about HIV,” he said. “I am glad we learned that story.”
Last of all, Phila saw the nyala and impala. “I am a friend to
Njabu who has HIV. I want to be a true friend like the nyala,” she
said.
“I am proud of you both,” said Grandmother.
“You have learned so much!”

43
 n 10
s o

Activities 1
Les

Below are pictures

from each lesson.

See how well you can remember which ones go together. Draw
a line connecting each picture on the left with the picture that
goes with it on the right.

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

44 Lesson 9
2 Which story did you like best in this book? Draw a
picture of something you remember from that story.

Choose one thing that you learned from the lessons in

3 this book. Draw a picture of yourself doing what you
learned.

45
 Quiz
True or False: Circle “T” for the statements that are true and “F” for those that are false.
Lesson 1
T F God made the world and everything in it.
T F Trees are the most special thing that God made.
T F God loves people very much.
T F People can talk with God.
Lesson 2
T F Grandmother said that Musa was not special.
T F Painted One was happy to be a caterpillar.
T F A bird helped Painted One out of the cocoon.
T F Grandmother said that God would take good care of Phila and Musa.
Lesson 3
T F Phila did not want to go to school.
T F The lion wanted to be like the monkey.
T F The lion and the monkey worked together to save the animals.
T F The monkey learned that everyone is special.
Lesson 4
T F The hunter was lost in a storm.
T F The firefly said that his son was too little to help.
T F The people were sad to see the hunter come home.
T F You can help others even when you are small.
Lesson 5
T F Phila and Musa obeyed grandmother.
T F The hyena always told the truth.
T F The hyena and his friends said they were sorry.
T F Phila and Musa were sorry they lied to Grandmother.

46
Lesson 6
T F Grandmother told the children to never take anything from a stranger.
T F Phila did not take food from the man.
T F The leopard took good care of his body.
T F Phila and Musa promised to take care of their bodies.
Lesson 7
T F Washing your hands is a good way to get rid of germs.
T F Mosquito bites can make you sick with HIV.
T F HIV is only passed to others through blood or body fluids.
T F You should be afraid of people with HIV.
Lesson 8
T F The female lion did not want the bad lion to touch her.
T F Sometimes people do unkind things like the bad lion.
T F You should always say no to someone who wants to touch you in a bad way.
T F You should tell someone you trust if someone tries to touch your private parts.
Lesson 9
T F You should not be friends with people with HIV.
T F The kudu was a true friend to the little impala.
T F You might get sick if you play with a child who has HIV.
T F It is safe to hug someone with HIV.
Lesson 10
Choose the correct word from the list to complete each sentence.
Write the words in the blanks.
All people good plan helped bad bite care true
1. Adam and Eve were the first p _ _ _ _ _ God made.
2. God has a special p _ _ _ for each of us.
3. A _ _ of us are special.
4. The firefly was small, but he h _ _ _ _ _ the hunter.
5. The hyenas learned about making g _ _ _ choices.
6. You should take good c _ _ _ of your body.
7. You must always tell someone if you meet a person like the
b _ _ lion.
8.
9.
You cannot get HIV from a mosquito b _ _ _ .
You can be a t _ _ _ friend just like the nayla. 47
 Letter to Adults
Dear Adult in the Home,
You will notice that your child has brought home this small book called I Matter.
This book was designed to teach children many important concepts that will help
them throughout their lives. Please take time to read the stories over and over with
your child.
I Matter covers many important topics for the mental, social, physical, and
moral development of children. Throughout the book children will learn that they
are valuable, important, and unique. It is so important that you at home
reinforce these ideas with your child. Let your child know that you think he/she
is a valuable and important part of your family. Likewise, be aware of the special
interests and talents that your child demonstrates so that you can encourage him/
her to develop these individual uniquenesses and interests.
Children need people in their lives who will spend time with them. They need
people who are supportive of them and who show them wholesome affection. By
spending time with your child you can build their trust in you. It is so important
that your child knows that he/she can trust you to protect him/her and to share
information and instruction about living good, healthy lives.
You must remember that children are always watching you. In fact, the way you
communicate with them and live before them is probably more important than the
words that you use with them. However, to hear you say “thank you” or “I am sorry”
or “I forgive you” or “you did such a good job” is so important for their development
as caring, loving individuals. Remember to use negative words and words of
condemnation sparingly. Correction given in a loving manner is better received than
that given with harshness and anger.
Remember that you are your child’s first teachers. Consider
what you are teaching. Are you teaching ideas that will help your child to develop
into a caring, thoughtful, and healthy person? It is important to consider that others
will eventually have an influence over the life of your child. So be aware of who your
child’s friends are. Are they providing a good influence in the life of your child? Have
you built sufficient trust with your child that he/she feels comfortable sharing with
you things that are troubling him/her?
For the safety and health of your child, there are many

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topics which you must spend time talking about with your child.
Unfortunately, children must be taught that there are people in
your community who do bad, unkind things to children. So you must help them
know the difference between good and bad touches. They must understand that it is
bad for anyone to touch their private body parts. Your child must be able to trust you
sufficiently to tell you about anyone who is trying to give bad touches to him or her.
You must help them understand that it is not their fault that someone tries to harm
them this way. It was not their choice but the choice of the hurtful individual. You
need to warn your child that there will be people who will try to get them involved
in other activities that can be very harmful to them – using illegal drugs, drinking
alcoholic drinks, and involving them in sexual behaviors.
As part of your interaction with your child, talk about the HIV/AIDS problem that is
everywhere in your community, nation and world. They are probably already aware
of this terrible sickness. Reinforce for them the content they studied in I Matter that
taught them how people get this sickness and how they can keep themselves safe
from it. Also, reinforce for them that people who have the HIV virus may not know
that they have it. So they must be careful of their actions around people that could
put them in danger of getting HIV from another. Reinforce the information that HIV
will develop into AIDS. There is no cure for AIDS.
Involve your child in kind acts to those who may be sick from AIDS. Model for them
that you can be caring of all people who are sick while keeping yourself safe
from getting the sickness.
We know that you, like most parents or caregivers, want a
good future for your child. Encourage your child to make plans
for their future. Assist them in setting goals and in planning steps
they must take to reach their goals. Encourage them in
their efforts to reach their goals or to make adjustments
in their goals.
This book teaches your child that they matter to all
those around them. We want them to be able to say of
themselves – I Matter. I make a difference because of
who I am. Equally important, please understand that
You Matter in the lives of your children. So you, along
with your child, can say - I Matter. I make a difference in the
life of my child and in the lives of those with whom I come
into contact.
 This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number U2G/PS001346
from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s contents are solely the
responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.