Writing Letters

My father will be 100 years old this year and communication with him has become very difficult for him due to his lack of hearing skills. He no longer wants to talk on the phone and when we visit in person, we feel like we are always screaming at him. Even though communication is difficult, I don’t want to lose the connection with him, so I’ve been writing to him every week. I tell him about what we’ve done for the week and some of my concerns and triumphs. I even decorate the envelope that I mail the letter in. My parents say they enjoy the letters and when they forget something, I’ve told them, they can look back at the letter. I don’t expect them to write back and mainly want them to know that I think about them often.

Writing letters is a great way for students to learn spelling and language skills as well as proper writing etiquette and communication skills. We have become so ingrained with using the computer that many younger people have lost the art of letter writing. They don’t write letters enough to know the different parts of a letter and the difference between a friendly letter and a business letter.

There are many different activities that could be done with letter writing in all subject areas for all ages. Here are some suggestions of letter writing activities for the classroom:

Write a letter:

·      To our favorite author, scientist, or even celebrity.

·      To a business asking for more information about their product.

·      To a company about an environmental issue.

·      To a legislator about a political issue.

·      To a newspaper with an editorial about a news article

·      To a  historical character and telling why you like them and ask questions you want them to answer (even though you know they won’t be able to answer).

·      To his family from a Revolutionary War soldier.

·      To his family from a Civil war soldier.

·      To his family from a WWI soldier.

·      To his family from a WWII soldier.

·      To his family from a Vietnam war soldier.

·      To a character in a book

·      From a character to another character in a book.

·      From an inanimate object as if it was alive to another person.

What other suggestions would you have for letter writing? Please share.

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