Write more.

It's summer and we want to encourage our favorite six year old, Paul, to hone this kindergarten skills. We explained that he needed to practice reading and writing a little, often, all summer.  Now, before you think this is Drakonian, Paul had breaks for vacation each month.  His reading each day was typically twenty or thirty minutes.  It helped that he took part in the summer library program and earned prizes.  (One prize was his photo on the wall at the library.  Cool, right?).  We provided painting projects, such as the Star Wars sun catchers.  But writing is another story.  I didn't even try 'color, cut, and glue'.  Over the past two weeks, Paul had several visits with family and adored time with his cousins.  So, I suggested he write letters telling them how much fun he had.  Paul had to have some help spelling.  He's learning phonetically; missed became 'mist' and time became 'tine'.  Fine.  I provided fine notecards.  I gave him options: painting or sketch?  We reviewed how to address an envelope and where to place the stamp.  Paul is eager to write to all of his cousins and Aunt Gigi.  Today, I let him loose with a digital camera.  My plan is for him to write letters and enclose hand-made pictures with photos.  Paul doesn't realize he's working on hand-writing.

As an update, we've had Paul write several letters, take and print photos, and post the letter packets to his favorite family members.  Did he balk?  A little.  His letters won't win any literary awards; but, he had some practice before resuming school.