Writing a letter that is received via the mailbox. Ideas to inspire students to write a handwritten letter of gratitude.
Each day, the post is filled with envelopes and flyers but rarely a letter. A hand written invitation or a short thank you note but a letter from a friend usually comes via the internet. In today’s world, technology has replaced the pen for the keyboard.
The art of writing letters is not lost, it is just in hibernation. Students need to receive letters to understand their value. Often we tell children to write a letter but they cannot relate when email has been a part of their lives.
The infamous email is a quick way to connect to people with short simple letters that are informally addressed. Often an email leaves out many elements of the handwritten letter. Letter writing is a part of the curriculum but students are unable to relate because they are usually not a part of their life.
Teachers can instill letter writing to the students by making it personal. Introduce students to thank you letters by writing one to a person in the community. The thank you letter may be written to a family doctor, store cashier, firefighter, teacher, parent, or friend. The purpose of the letter is to thank the recipient for their service.
Students will learn the basics of writing a thank you letter and construct their own letter to be addressed and mailed. As well, it is best to review a lesson on how to write sentences. Too often sentences are short and do not answer why? It is important for students to thank someone and explain how their service was appreciated.
Thank someone today in a letter and put an unexpected smile on their face.
