Letter for the Postbox
What you need
- a sheet of paper
- crayons
- an envelope with a stamp
- a family photo of the person it's for
How to do it
- Ask your child who the letter is for and what they want to tell them: grandad, maybe, and something they did this week.
- Let them draw a picture of the news and make their own marks underneath. Any squiggles they say are words are their writing.
- Write what they tell you along the bottom, reading it back as you go, and let them sign it with their name or the first letter of it.
- Fold it into the envelope, write the address while they watch, let them press the stamp on, and walk to the postbox together to send it.
Why it matters
Their marks carry a real message to a real person, and the walk to the postbox finishes the job. A reply, if one comes, is a bonus.
What they're learning
- Marks that say something
- Squiggles that carry their news.
- Signing their name
- All of it, or the first letter.
- Telling news
- Choosing what to tell and saying it in order.
What to look for
Notice them pointing at their own marks and telling you what they say.
A tip
Lift them up at the postbox so they can push the envelope into the slot themselves.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: they draw the picture and you write down every word they tell you
Harder: copy one or two words from your writing, like love or from, before their name
