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The Lost Art of Letter Writing
How to Get Your Child
to Pick up a Pen
to Pick up a Pen
By Gina Roberts-Grey, L.C.S.W.
Spend time together writing holiday, thank you or birthday cards. He'll realize your passion for writing letters to friends and loved ones. He'll also have the chance to model your actions and priority for written communication.
3. Establish no electronic communication days or times.
Choose one evening a week to turn off the computer and cell phones. If he has late-breaking information to share with a buddy, he can write a reminder note and tell him the next day. A break from technology gives him the opportunity to reflect on what and how he communicates with his peers.
4. Find out why he doesn't like to write.
A child's creativity can be spurred once you know what is stifling it. Sometimes children rebuff writing letters because they are insecure about their penmanship, spelling errors, use of vocabulary or sentence structure. Talk to him to uncover any insecurities or writing blocks. Perhaps he feels there's no time to write a letter or he sees it as more of a chore than as communication.
5. Make writing fun.
Introduce him to a variety of ways to utilize the written word as a form of expressing himself and his abilities. Offer him the chance to work crossword puzzles, mad libs or word games to stimulate vocabulary. Another option is designating one weekend afternoon as "no-talk time." The entire family has to write notes to each other, follow previously written clues to find hidden surprises or treats around the house or play word games. You'll create a fun environment for him to learn to express himself as well as spark his writing abilities.
6. Pick a word for the day.
Use tools such as calendars that feature a word of the day or a hand-written list of words where he can select one word a day. Learning how to properly spell, pronounce and use a new word in a sentence gives him tools to structure letters and reports. He will gain confidence in his writing from learning new vocabulary words to use in his writing as well as his speech.
7. Keep supplies handy.