Are Pen Pals Passe'?

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #80 - January 22, 2011

Anyone remember writing letters to Pen Pals? Once upon a time, in many cities and towns in this great nation, children got excited about writing letters and receiving correspondence back from children their own age. Many times the “Pen Pal” was from a different state or even a different country. The cool thing was we were all connected by a common language, English.
Due to the extent of the British Empire, countries all over the globe have English speaking inhabitants. And, get this, many of their children, who are not fluent in English, want to correspond with American children in order to improve their English language skills. By the same token, many of our children are interested in learning what kids of their age group do for fun in their countries.

Exchanging letters or emails with a pen pal can offer learning experiences about life in other parts of the country or around the world. Your child may be surprised that children of similar ages do things very differently in other places. If your child is lucky enough to have an international pen pal, a further learning experience about foreign customs, traditions, and even language is possible.

Having a pen pal can also teach them about different sports, hobbies, and other interests. It is a great learning experience to be able to share an interest with another person. Pen pals can ignite the imagination and encourage your child to try new things. Having a pen pal or two can open up a whole world of experiences and education for your child. Not only can it help with writing skills, it can also teach them about different parts of the country or the world, and how life is the same in some ways and different in others.

Parents and teachers, this is a win-win situation. It’s a way to get your children excited about reading and writing and actually enjoy doing it! Of course, you will need to take the proper precautions since this does take place on the Internet. Make sure your child doesn’t give out his or her home address to anyone without your approval.

There are a myriad of websites to help you start on this new adventure. Here’s one that offers a variety of websites for prospective email Pen Pals. Bon Voyage!
http://www.pcfl.net/channels/kidszone/penpals.htm