We decided that we would like to pick up on this interest and try to extend it to include writing. First we read the picture book, The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. This led to some discussion about sending and receiving mail, mailboxes, postboxes, the mailman and the post office. Next we looked at some non-fiction books about sending mail, which gave the children an understanding of what happens to a letter after you put it in the post box.
We invited the children to make their own mailboxes from recycled cardboard boxes. Once the mailboxes were dry, the children put their photo on their mailbox and chose a number for their mailbox. We have been practicing identifying numbers greater than 10, so sending mail has provided an opportunity for extra practice with this.
Ms Chan had recently received a postcard from a friend so she brought it to school to show to the Room 8 children. We looked at the different features of a postcard, including a picture on the front, a stamp, a post mark, the fact that it needed to have the person's name and address and also a message.
During some of our writing sessions we have been writing post cards to other members of the class. This has provided a meaningful context for the children to write, especially in helping them to learn to write in the style of a message.
The experience has also been valuable in helping to strengthen relationships within the class, through the joy of giving or receiving a message. Some children have been independently choosing to write to others during their own time, which is great to see!
