DMG_sylvannewsletter1

"DEAR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA. . . "

Letter writing improves writing and reading skills.

Some say letter writing is a lost art but even in this technological age, letter writing does serve a purpose. For parents who want to improve their child’s writing ability, educators agree that written correspondence provides a positive result. "Letter writing is one of the things we recommend to parents to improve writing and reading skills," says Barbara Kapinus of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ association in the country.

Though children may not be equipped to write their own letters until after the first grade, Kapinus says, parents of younger students should approach writing with their children as a fun activity. For example, short thank-you notes for holiday or birthday gifts is a good place to start. If your child cannot print the note alone, write what he or she wishes to say. Children might also like to draw something on the note or decorate it somehow to make it more their own. "This kind of activity makes the connection for a child between writing and communicating," says Kapinus.

As children progress and start to try to write on their own, be prepared for invented spelling. For instance, "cake" might be spelled "kake" and "love" may appear as "luv." These errors are part of the normal developmental process for children, explains Kapinus.

When it is time to edit, the temptation to correct mistakes may be strong. Too much attention to detail at an early age may discourage children. Of course you want to guide your children in the right direction, but use your judgement to determine if your child is prepared to make corrections without feeling discouraged. Consider making a separate list of the misspelled words that you and your child can study later and correct in the next letter.

Nine-year-old Zachary Berends writes notes to his grandparents regularly. "I send them my report cards," he says. Because Zachary lives in Texas and his grandparents live in Maryland, his mom Juanita Torres-Stanfield wanted to encourage letter writing as a means of communicating with her parents. "I always wrote letters to my grandparents, and I remember how excited I was when they wrote back." She adds that she tries not to over-edit his work. "I just check to make sure that it makes sense and that it’s readable."

She also says that letter writing has encouraged her son to read more. "He didn’t always like to read. We really had to encourage him. That has changed," Stanfield continues. "He not only reads a lot, he reads because he wants to."

"The bottom line," concludes Kapinus, "is that letter writing is a great idea for parents and kids."

Find more writing tips at the Sylvan Learning Center website by clicking here.

— Valerie Menard


	"DEAR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA. . . " Letter writing improves writing and reading skills. Some say letter writing is a lost art but even in this technological age, letter writing does serve a purpose. For parents who want to improve their child’s writing ability, educators agree that written correspondence provides a positive result. "Letter writing is one of the things we recommend to parents to improve writing and reading skills," says Barbara Kapinus of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers’ association in the country. Though children may not be equipped to write their own letters until after the first grade, Kapinus says, parents of younger students should approach writing with their children as a fun activity. For example, short thank-you notes for holiday or birthday gifts is a good place to start. If your child cannot print the note alone, write what he or she wishes to say. Children might also like to draw something on the note or decorate it somehow to make it more their own. "This kind of activity makes the connection for a child between writing and communicating," says Kapinus. As children progress and start to try to write on their own, be prepared for invented spelling. For instance, "cake" might be spelled "kake" and "love" may appear as "luv." These errors are part of the normal developmental process for children, explains Kapinus. When it is time to edit, the temptation to correct mistakes may be strong. Too much attention to detail at an early age may discourage children. Of course you want to guide your children in the right direction, but use your judgement to determine if your child is prepared to make corrections without feeling discouraged. Consider making a separate list of the misspelled words that you and your child can study later and correct in the next letter. Nine-year-old Zachary Berends writes notes to his grandparents regularly. "I send them my report cards," he says. Because Zachary lives in Texas and his grandparents live in Maryland, his mom Juanita Torres-Stanfield wanted to encourage letter writing as a means of communicating with her parents. "I always wrote letters to my grandparents, and I remember how excited I was when they wrote back." She adds that she tries not to over-edit his work. "I just check to make sure that it makes sense and that it’s readable." She also says that letter writing has encouraged her son to read more. "He didn’t always like to read. We really had to encourage him. That has changed," Stanfield continues. "He not only reads a lot, he reads because he wants to." "The bottom line," concludes Kapinus, "is that letter writing is a great idea for parents and kids." Find more writing tips at the Sylvan Learning Center website by clicking here. — Valerie Menard