In America, 73% of children are behind the expected standard in writing skills and 66% are behind in reading, according to the Nation Report Card. Encouraging your children to write letters to penpals is a great way of improving their literacy skills. It is also fun and rewarding, allowing them to be excited by the thought of writing with pen and paper. Do you remember the joy of waiting for something special to arrive in the mail? This happiness is something that you can bring to your children by finding them the perfect penpal.
Using a penpal website
A penpal website is a good place to start if you are looking for another child your kids can correspond with. Students of the World is aimed specifically at school-age children, with over a million students regularly visiting the site. The website is closely and regularly monitored, and you don’t need to provide a personal email or give any personal information. All you have to do is create your own page on the site and register to find suitable penpal friends, which is free to do. GlobalPenFriends and Penpal World are also trustworthy websites to find penpals for your children. giving them the chance to make friends all over the world and regularly exchange letters and postcards.
Finding penpals through your children’s school
Many schools already operate a penpal system with other schools in the country, or even in a different country. Ask your child’s principal if they are involved. If the school does not participate in a penpal program, it is a great thing to suggest. Postal experts at OnlineStamp.net recommend using teacher’s resources, such as The Teacher’s Corner, to find other children of a suitable age. The online site even has an interactive map showing penpals within the same age range.
Correspond with friends from your family vacation
Encouraging your children to keep in touch with the friends that they have made on vacation is one of the best ways to find new penpals. This way, you have the added security that they’ve already met their penpal in person, instead of just finding them on the internet. Perhaps they have met other kids at summer camp or in a musical group that they would like to write to on a regular basis. Maybe they would like to write to the child that they met up with on the beach everyday whilst you were on your last family vacation.
Waiting for a letter from your penpal buddy is a wonderful thing, and much more exciting than receiving an email. Encouraging your children to write letters and postcards to their friends around the world can help to improve their literacy skills and give them a reason to practice their vocabulary, creativity and penmanship.