The Top 5 Reasons Your Child Should Write A Letter

Top 5 Reasons You and Your Child Should Write a Letter

1. You are practicing and encouraging proper etiquette.

One of the most common letter types is the thank you letter. You write this type of letter to express your gratitude for a gift, a service, or a friendly gesture. As you begin teaching your child good manners from a very early age, letter writing helps to reinforce those good behaviors. When an action or gift warrants more than a verbal thank you, sending a well-written card in a timely fashion is an excellent example of good manners that your child can learn and model throughout their life. Even when a letter is not being written with the intention of saying thank you, it is important to remember to always be polite by using using respectful tone and language.

2. Letter writing teaches several writing styles.

In regards to writing, there are a number of styles that are appropriately implemented for specific purposes. Letter writing is no different. Writing a letter not only gives you the opportunity to use both formal and informal styles of writing, but letters can also be written for a wide range of reasons-all of which require varying styles. You can pen a letter to say thank you or to extend an invitation. A letter can be written to send praise or address a complaint. Writing letters can be used to inquire about a topic or to provide information. The possibilities are endless! Practicing these styles with your children, and encouraging them to explore the various letter writing options in letters to their family, friends, and teachers will create excitement for writing, as well as a valuable skill set.

3. A handwritten note provides excellent handwriting practice.

Despite increasing access to technology, it is important that your child maintains their ability to write clearly, as this skill stimulates the brain and encourages self-editing. Writing letters is a fun way for your child to practice these skills! It will also help to improve the legibility of their writing, as well as develop a consistent letter size and spacing within their sentences.

4. Provide your child with an opportunity to learn something new.

Letters can be so much more than just expressing our gratitude toward someone or writing our concerns to a newspaper or business. You can use letters of inquiry to learn about a person. A phrase you rarely hear anymore is “pen pal”. Your child's pen pal doesn't need to be a stranger. Perhaps try a long distance cousin or a friend from a previous neighborhood. Writing letters to someone outside of their familiar surroundings will help your child expand their horizons and continue to learn about different people, places, and things without ever leaving their own neighborhood!

5. Create or maintain a personal connection to someone.

It is always such a wonderful experience to open your mailbox and see something other than junk mail. Sending a handwritten card or letter in the mail lets the recipient know that they are worth a little extra moment of your time. So often, we jump right to texting or emails because finding an appropriate card or a nice piece of stationary takes time- not to mention the careful planning of your words that is needed before putting your thoughts on paper. After all, a letter doesn't have spell check or backspace options! Let someone know that you really care by spending a little time and effort to send them something special. Sharing with your child that writing a letter can brighten someone's day, put a smile on their face, or lift them out of a slump will help show them that letter writing is a unique tool that lets someone close to them know that they care.

*** Ask your local SpiderSmart about their specialized “Art of Letter Writing” workshops today!**