Pen Pals

Remember way back in the day, schools use to encourage pen pals writing. Where one classroom would write another classroom from a different state; and throughout the school year, both classrooms would receive mail from each other.  Pen Pals writing would motivate children to write, teaches children how to address envelops and letters, and helps with penmanship. I don't know about all schools, just the ones that we've been to, because of our PCS moves. When schools have standardize testing, and teachers are no longer focusing on fun writing to motivate the children to write, but studying to take a test. Not a big fan of standardize testing or common core; not everyone learns material the same way; I have five children, who learn differently, because they have different personalities too.
My last blog, I talked about how letters are like a foreign language, BumbleBee Brie struggles not only with reading, but writing as well; the two interlock with each other. How can I get BumbleBee Brie to read and write at the same time? Well, a few days ago, there was a news story about pen pals {http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4455722/Pen-pals-finally-meet-42-years-handwritten-notes.html} and the idea just hit me. Why not pen pals for BumbleBee Brie, Jumping Jack Quarterback Jules, and Sassy Singing Stella? My three youngest don't have social media, why not pen pals. Since social media is so mainstream, the art of writing to people has been lost.


I went on my Facebook page, and asked my friends if they were interested in pen pals from my children. I had a few responses, which was perfect. This way I knew the parents of the child/ren, the would be wring to my children. I just didn't want my children to completely write to a strange, because I didn't know if this child was really a child. We do live in a not so safe society, we as parents should always be careful. So I turned to my friends on Facebook; but, I also belong to different Facebook groups for parental support for ASD, ODD, ADHD, DMDD, that I have turned to as well.
So if your child/ren struggles with reading and writing, maybe a pen pal will encourage with reading and writing; there are other parents out there, that are in the same boat. Do what I did, ask your friends or different support groups on Facebook! Safety is the priority for our children. Start an address book, and let the letters flow.