This is an idea that I learned from one of my former mentors, Katy.  On the first week of school have your child or students write a letter to themselves and then you open it on the last week of school.  It is a great way to see how they  have changed over the course of the school year.  As the school year is coming to an end- tuck this into your folder of things for the opening week of next year.  Kids delight about how their ideas have become more complex and their spelling, writing and vocabulary more expansive.  We suggested a book to read along with it (as you will soon learn, I am a lover of Children’s Literature…).

Materials

Letter to Oneself: Supplies make-it-your-own.com

Directions

  • Read the book First Year Letters about a beginning teacher who sets up  a class mail system. After the read aloud, discuss:  How does the teacher transform?  How do the children change throughout the story/year?
  • Have the students write a letter to themselves in the future (the end of the year).  We included some prompts to get them going, should they need it.
  • Tuck them into a safe place (like your folder or bin of end-of-the-year items).  Take them out and re-read the book and have the students open and read their letters.  Some of them may be interested in sharing not only what they wrote, but how they have evolved over time.
  • Additional tip:  include this activity in a package that you make for students that arrive throughout the year so that they can be part of the opening at the end.  Be sure as the teacher to write your own letter too!

Letter to Oneself: Prompts make-it-your-own.com

Purpose

  • Recognizing one’s own growth, writing with a specific purpose in mind, using literature as a “jumping off point” to other activities.

Safety Notes

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