All children are writers, we just need to show them how!

A guest post by Melissa Taylor of Imagination Soup!

What’s the first word a child learns to write?
His or her name! Start with the name - add a picture and you have the makings of a letter to a friend.


We know that kids love getting mail.
Writing letters gives kids a gratifying purpose for writing – gratifying because most of the time, you receive a letter in return.

Read about it first!
Before you begin writing letters, read Max and Ruby’s book, "Bunny Mail" or "Toot and Puddle" about sending and receiving mail.

Gather the supplies
Gather supplies like scrap paper, note cards, envelopes, scissors, markers, pencils, stickers, ink stamps.

Make a mailbox
Make mail boxes for each child out of shoe boxes.

Scaffold your letter writing instruction
Model writing a “letter” to each child. First draw a picture and talk about who you think you want to give the picture letter to – maybe your friend, Mariah. Write / sign your name and give the letter to Mariah.

Adding on . . . Model writing another letter with pictures and words. The children listen for the letter sounds, then write the letters they hear. When done, sign your name and give the letter to the a friend.

Now, add writing the friend’s name or at least, the beginning letter of his or her name. (Another idea is to put name tag stickers on each child’s table. Friends can stop by and peel off the name sticker and use that on their letters.)

Finally, model using an envelope in which to enclose the letter. Show how to write the friend’s name on the front of the envelope. Model where to put the stamp -- a sticker -- in the upper right hand corner.

Depending on the age of the children you are teaching, you may choose to stop after step one or two. Or you could also scaffold the lesson over a week’s time. You know your students best so make this fit for their abilities.

Remember, all children are writers. We just need to show them how!

Happy letter writing!
P.S. This would be fun for Valentine’s Day!


Melissa Taylor is a teacher, writer and mom of two with an M.A. in Education. She writes a learning activities blog at www.imaginationsoup.net and can always be found on Twitter too! 


Thank you Melissa for taking the time to share your expertise and experience with us!


Deborah

Preschoolers love hearing..."You've Got Mail!"

I recently saw the cutest picture of a mailbox purchased and displayed on the Tired, Need Sleep blog. This reminded me of my own little mailbox that I have had for over 20 years (just like my laminator) and always use in every classroom that I teach in.


It isn't a cute little red mailbox like Tired, Need Sleep posted but it is a really cool red, pocket quilt made and given to me by one of my assistant teachers back in 1990.

When I am teaching, I like to do a week on The Post Office in my classroom and I hang the quilt down low so the children can reach it. I also place it near the writing center. I then place a name tag on each pocket, including my own name, so the children can give each other mail.

I often put little notes in the pockets too and I get tons of mail on a daily basis. Everything from little scraps of paper, little cutouts, little notes, and little pictures with hearts:) 

I usually hang the quilt up close to February and leave it up through Valentine's day. Some years we deliver our Valentine cards to the pockets and other years I let the children make Valentine bags instead. And when the month is over, I can easily fold it up and put it away. This keeps the novelty from wearing off.

What can children learn?

Name recognition: One of the greatest learning experiences is name recognition. Children are learning to recognize their own name as well as the names of their classmates.

Name writing: The children will often go over to the name tags and then back to the table working diligently to write each other's name on their notes or envelopes. The children want to draw and write so they can put something in a pocket.

Motor Skills: The children also love to fold their notes. They have to if they want them to fit in those pockets. Keep in mind, I find many little notes on the floor throughout the day and try to help sort it out, but most of the time it was the writer who just enjoyed the experience and the receiver doesn't always know when the note never made it to their pocket.

Social/Emotional: Getting mail can give a big boost to one's self-esteem and feelings of acceptance in the classroom. If I see someone is lacking in mail, I encourage the children to write them a note and the children love to do it. They like making their friends feel good and they love giving and getting mail.

For Younger Children
You could put pictures along with their name on each pocket so they will be able to identify their own pocket. The youngest child loves stuffing things in pockets:)