ALT-1 Helping your Child Write Valentines for Classmates
Every February 14 the loving holiday celebration named Valentine's Day greets many with a heart warming gift, candy from a loved one, or a card from a fellow classmate. Valentine card giving is a great way for the younger children to practice their copying skills, perfect their writing skills, and learn to read short, easy quotes.
Helping your child to write Valentine's cards for their classmates is a good time to spend quality time together while crafting small gifts of joy. When helping your child this Valentine's consider using these following suggestions:
1. Let your child choose the Valentine's cards
When children have ownership of what they are doing, choosing, and learning, they become more involved. Allowing your child to decide whether she would like to buy Valentine's cards or even make her own cards is a good opportunity to build the feeling of ownership.
When discussing whether to buy or make Valentine's cards, highlight the importance of making this event fun. Children love to do for others when they know it's appreciated, and they get more involved in the process when parents take an active participation.
Another option is to create cards using your computer. There are many options to creating Valentine's on the computer, and for individuality graphics, fonts, and color can be added.
Your child can create Valentine's cards with the use of plain, multi-colored 3X5 cards. Many 99 cent stores sell 100 count packs of 3X5 cards, which provide enough for the many errors which may occur.
At discount stores, Valentine's sticker packs, colored pencils and crayons, stencils, and heart suckers can be purchased and are creative methods to decorate each card. The kids can spend time decorating each card for classmates.
2. Read each card with your child
If your child chooses to buy a pack of already-crafted Valentine's cards, have your child read each card to you. If they are in pre-school and are just beginning to learn letter sounds, read the cards together.
If your child decides to create his own Valentine's card, have him practice writing and reading two or three Valentine's sayings. These unique sayings can then be traced, copied, handwritten, or typed onto each card.
Giving your child the extra practice of writing and reading will help increase crucial skills while making each Valentine's meaningful.
3. Allow your child to copy, trace, write, or type each name
On each Valentine's card, allow your child to write the students' names. Whether your child is in preschool and is tracing or copying, or is in elementary school and can write or type each name, allow your child to do the work of placing names on the cards.
Practicing writing skills is always beneficial, and your child won't realize it's homework practice.
4. Discuss the meaning of Valentine's and the joy of giving
According to one legend, Valentine sent the first valentine greeting to a young woman he fell in love with. While in prison and just before his death, he sent her a greeting and signed it, "From your Valentine."
Though this is one legend of how Valentine's Day began, the symbolism of this day is about romantic love, giving, and demonstrating kindness. Children need to be aware of why they are doing something and what value it has for their classmates and for themselves.
Sharing the joy of giving and demonstrating how thoughtfulness is a good characteristic to have without expecting the same in return is one of the best qualities to teach during Valentine's.
When helping your child write Valentine's for classmates, have fun and enjoy the spirit of the occasion.
