How to Prepare Your Little Ones for Letter Writing

Looking for ways to help your small children learn how to write letters and send cards - even children who don't know how to write yet?

The key is to involve them from start to finish. If you're writing thank-you notes after your daughter's birthday, for example, gather all the toys and gifts.  Then have her select a card for each gift-giver, and using crayons or markers, draw a picture of the gift inside the card.

If you're writing to a missionary, have a photograph handy so that your child can associate a face with the name.  Use a map to locate the country where your missionary serves, or find pictures in a book or on the internet.  Similarly, if you're writing to a friend or loved one in the military, have a photo and map handy.

Once you've signed and addressed the card, let your child select and apply the stamps and return-address labels.

Before you head for the post office, stop at the library and pick up one of the books listed below. The Jolly Postman: Or Other People's Letters , by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg, is a great way to show your child how her greeting card will find its way from your house to the recipient.

If you visit the post office in the morning, it won't be as crowded. Show your child the stamp machines, the drop boxes, and the displays of colorful stamps. Let her select stamps for the next round of letter-writing.

If your child belongs to a pre-school or play group, ask your postmaster to arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of the post office. (You'll probably enjoy it, too!)

Books for Children

TO ENCOURAGE LETTER-WRITING AND CARD-SENDING

The Jolly Postman: Or Other People's Letters , by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg

Messages in the Mailbox: How to Write a Letter , by Lorraine Leedy

The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves , by Gail Gibbons

A Day With a Mail Carrier, by Jan Kottke

Jonathan Goes to the Post Office , by Susan K. Baggette and William J. Moriarty

Dear Annie , by Judith Caseley

Reprinted with permission by IntegrityNotes.com