Pen Pals

When I was young, my travel agent parents arranged a pen pal for me.  She lived in Vienna, Austria and wanted to practice her english.  So we sent letters back and forth for a long time.

Now I am trying to think of ways to encourage Campster to write.  She made a good friend last year at Aquarium School.  The two girls were inseparable every class.  So I suggested to the other girl's mother that they become pen pals.

We certainly could have done it over email.  And they could have even talked on the phone.  But I think there is just something special about getting an old fashioned letter in the mail.

So Campster and her friend have been writing back and forth.  Her letters are brief, and covered with artwork.  She's had the opportunity to practice letter writing and addressing envelopes.  She gets to work on her penmanship and spelling.  And when the letter arrives, she gets to read and practice that all important skill of deciphering someone else's handwriting.  Of course, Campster doesn't realize any of this.  She just thinks it's fun, because it is.

The internet could come in handy when finding a pen pal.  There are so many Christian Homeschooling blogs and sites up - If you want to find a pen pal for your child, just ask around.  You could also have Grandparents, Aunt or Uncles or cousins write.

By the way, the purpose of these letters is not to have them be perfect.  Don't ruin the fun by insisting that their penmanship be neat, the words spelled correctly, or even the sentences complete.  It's all about writing for fun and for the joy of relationship.

You could decorate some plain paper with stamps to make "Stationery".  Postcards are fun for older kids with smaller handwriting.  Think of including photos or artwork as a part of the letter.  Talk with your child about the process of getting to know someone and making chit-chat.

Wish you were here!