Technology is nice, but it leaves people increasingly disconnected. Your child can have hundreds of friends on social networking sites like Facebook, but none of them may really know the true person he or she is: the hopes, the fears, the dreams. When you write someone a letter you show that you care. You share your ideas, your innermost thoughts, things that have been going on in your life, and more. It is more intimate than the daily complaining of an email or the quick, abbreviated update via text. Letters and notes develop vocabulary and expressive language. It isn’t uncommon to write better than one speaks. Electronic communication has, unfortunately, become written speech; this means that we write fragments and do not use proper grammar or punctuation. Letter writing is a way to put proper language skills into practice. To help your child rediscover the art of letter writing, first have them select a handful of people that they would like to start a correspondence with. Depending on the age of the child, you may want to help them with this. Encourage them to write to a variety of people, whether it is a friend from camp, a cousin, a...Read More

Have you ever noticed how excellent children are at typing? They knew the proper position for their fingers and they can type quickly. However, it is surprising to see that they can barely write their own names when handed a pencil and paper. It really should not come as a shock, though. Consider the technology available to children today. They live in a time of email, cell phones, internet, and text messages. They receive information and feedback instantly whenever they desire it. Why would they handwrite? This generation is the first that could feasibly leave no written record of itself. Think about the personal emails you send or receive. Do you ever print them out? Neither do the kids. Letter writing should not be a thing in the past! When you delete an email or text message it is gone. A letter can be saved and read later, by you or your great grandchildren. There are countless number of books and great historical insight that has been gained from reading old letters. This is because letters are more reflective. They are personal. Handwritten notes reveal deeper feelings and emotions and are generally thought out. They take longer to write than...Read More