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My friend LaToya is talking about Pen Pals and Homeschooling today. Jonathan has a pen pal. She's the daughter of Ashley from Life by Ashley Pichea. They've been writing to each other since last summer and it's been a great experience for both of them. Read on to see what LaToya has to say about the benefits of pen pals and homeschooling.
-Amanda
My oldest son is not very fond of writing. Part of this I think is just the nature of boys and part of it is because of his sensory processing disorder. His fine motor muscles are not as strong as most kids his age and handwriting assignments cause him lots of frustration.
Recently I signed my son up for a pen pal program with another homeschooling family. He loves to get mail with his name on it and I figured this would be a good opportunity for him to practice his handwriting. My son had a lot of fun working on his first letter to his pen pal, and I found that he was learning a lot more than just penmanship.
Geography:
Bubba's pen pal lives on the other side of the country. We live in Florida and they live in Washington State. Right away my son wanted to know where his pen pal lived. We spent some time looking at a map of the United States talking about where Washington is. Since then Bubba often sits down to look at the map and ask about the other states. We have family throughout the country so it's been fun watching him learn where all his favorite people live.
Interviewing Skills:
Before Bubba sat down to write his letter I asked him what he wanted to say to his pen pal. He have me a list of fun facts about himself that he wanted to share. Then I asked him what questions he wanted to ask his new friend. It was been interesting to see the kinds of questions that his 6 year old mind comes up with.
Art:
Each time Bubba sits down to write a letter he also includes a picture. In his most recent letter he told his pen pal that he liked G.I. Joe and sharks. We got out the colored pencils and crayons and Bubba got to work drawing a solider protecting the city from an invasion of sharks. The more letters he writes the better his pictures are getting.
Lessons about our Community:
Both my boys love to check the mail. They get really excited to see letters addressed to themselves. Having a pen pal has really sparked an interest in the postal system over here. Bubba and I have learned all about stamps and the journey a letter takes when it goes through the mail. He has asked questions at the post office and to our carrier during the day.
My son loves having a pen pal to write to. And I am happy that the battle and anxiety over handwriting lessons seems to have be at and end.
Do any of your children have pen pals? Do you have any other tips for making handwriting fun?
LaToya is a single, homeschooling mom of two bouncing boys. She lives for the quiet moments of the day which are few and far between with two rambunctious young men running around the house. She strives each day to life fully for God and although she often falls short she is determined to stay the course. She wants to encourage women to follow God's direction for their lives no matter the circumstances. You can keep up with LaToya on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.
