There is something about the first day of school that tugs at our hearts. How can you not love every single Instagram post of kids holding up “grade numbers” on their fingers? It's the best.
In the spirit of the season, here are 3 simple back to school traditions you might want to start. They tug at your back to school heart and (big surprise) have lots to do with writing!
1. Mark time by documenting their signature.
A friend of ours has a framed picture of her signature from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her mom just had her sign a line a year. It moves from kindergarten handwriting to her senior year year book signature. Don’t you just WANT one of those for each of your children? This could be an awesome thing to start even if your child is in sixth grade! Handwriting changes a lot!
2. Have them write a letter to their future selves.
Just ask them: what do you want to tell yourself 9 months from now? And then make a plan to open it up on the last day of school. These letters tend to be filled with “I hope that . . . ” It’s a good way for them to manifest a good future ahead!
3. Set up a grade portfolio to save writing.
When we train teachers, common advice we give is to treat student writing as precious and be careful sending it home. Loose pages of writing had a tendency to be buried and crushed in backpacks. Don’t let it happen! Create a place for writing and treasure it up. If they know it has a place to go, your children can get into a habit of doing it for you! Pictures of our children tell a story, but their words show glimpses of the story inside their hearts. Think 500 times before throwing it away!
Whether your children leave for school or are right there home with you, we wish you much joy and success this school year! The days can be long but the years fly by! (We’ve been around long enough to know this is true!) Thanks for letting us be a part of the important work you are doing!
WRITE ON!
