In the Digital Age, technology has made many daily functions tremendously easier. The way we communicate has become more efficient and arguably more effective. But as our desire to be more efficient increases, the times of pen pals and love letters are quickly fading. Emails, text messages and social media messaging are now our primary forms of communication, but as this trend continues younger and future generations suffer.
Students are Missing Out
A survey commissioned for children’s charity World Vision in 2010 found that one in five children had never received a handwritten letter, according to The Guardian. Seeing as technology has only grown since then, it is very likely these statistics have risen. This fact will more than likely not be shocking or even news for educators, but there’s no better time to address the issue than now. Brian Hall, a contributing writer on ReadWrite.com, said he’d recently discovered his son, a senior in high school, had never been taught to address mail. “How is it possible that the world’s most connected, most tech-savvy generation ever does not know how to mail a letter,” Hall wrote. “What else don’t they know?”
Writing by Hand has Real Benefits
A common assumption is children no longer need to know how to send mail. With email, text messages and social media messaging capabilities, what’s the point? Studies show there’s a number of ways we benefit from writing by hand. According to Dr. Marc Seifier, a handwriting expert and author of an analysis on the subject, handwriting helps the brain in these seven ways:
Writing by hand is especially important for young children because it’s an imperative tool in improving cognitive skills. Giving a child a task like writing a letter is more engaging and can be more enjoyable. It’s also empowering as it makes them feel what they have to say is important.
We understand time and resources are often limited for educators. For this reason, we’ve created a “Letter Writing” project with step-by-step instructions for teachers to use in their classrooms. We’ll provide you with a list of the supplies needed, where to find them and how to have them delivered directly to your classroom.
How to Write a Letter: Teaching your Students with Ease
*Note: order quantity according to the size of your class and order additional for mistakes. Leave ‘name’ portion of the address stamp blank so each student can fill in their name when addressing their letter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
A project like this will develop a love for sending and receiving letters. Sending snail mail may be a less efficient way to communicate, but it’s one that expresses how important the recipient is. Teaching your students the art of sending mail is something they won’t soon forget!