Letter Writing Improves Communication Skills for Kids

As more and more people “get on-line” everyday, are we losing touch with the practice of writing letters?

Admittedly, it is so easy to email quick notes in order to keep in touch with people; but, it’s still so much more personal to sit down with pen and paper! A traditional letter also encourages more “soul-searching” for content. Since you can write a letter anywhere to anybody with just a pad of paper and a pen, it’s a more viable solution for communication. Let’s face it—society hasn’t gotten to the point of “a PDA in every pocket”, and even though postage is up to 37¢, it’s still a lot less expensive to mail a letter from your vacation spot, than it is to buy a device and pay for the monthly service!

As a Mom, I think it’s important to encourage my children to use their story telling skills by writing letters. Help your kids choose a pen pal (PenPal.net is kid friendly) and let them pick out their own stationery and stamps. Teach them those “old school” things that you learned, like “salutations”, “proper indentations”, and “how to correctly form a paragraph”. Explain to them the difference between formal letters and personal letters (how they’re started and finished). Personalized stationery for kids can be found all over—and they think it’s so “COOL”!

As at matter of fact, the perfect gift for a 12-15 year old girl is personalized stationery! It’s a great gift for a child going away to summer camp, or a young adult headed off to college! If we encourage our children to continue the traditional letter writing methods—their communication skills will soar!

Nola Cooper - Classic Creations - July 2002

Side note: The author is the Mother (and homeschooler) of two active young boys who love to write letters to their friends, and relatives!