Use Pen Pals in your Speech Room

If you are looking for a creative way to incorporate language goals in your speech therapy services, look no further. Developing pen pal relationships has been a great way to motivate my students who are working on expressive, receptive, and social language goals. Students can read and dissect each letter that they open, which creates a foundation for conversations that target their goal-specific skills. Let's break down the idea of pen pals and get you started in the fun!

Pen pal relationships can be a great way to motivate each of your students who are working on expressive, receptive, and social language goals.

Pen pal relationships can be a great way to motivate each of your students who are working on expressive, receptive, and social language goals. Each student can have different rules/guidelines to follow while writing that help you measure and encourage their goal-specific skills.

Some examples of the types of rules/guidelines would be:

• Using age-appropriate words (Tier 2 or 3 for their grade)

• Verbally sharing their letters before writing them

• Asking age-appropriate questions and sharing appropriate information

• Using letter format to think and write letters

• Following two or three step directions

• Using specific prompts that target their language goals

• Not being able to use any abbreviations or texting slang (eg: LOL)

Set up a class pen pal exchange with another class in your school, another class in your town or state.

Use the internet to find pen pals. You can also partner older students with younger students within the same school to provide a way to build relationships (mentorship) among students of different ages. Encourage your students to write letters and include them on your classroom bulletin board. The letters can be shared at the end of each week during small group time, or you could keep them in a file box so they are available for future reference by individual children who need help writing their own letters.*

Establish Rules for Pen Pals

Pen pals can be used to help your students use language in a variety of ways. The following are some ideas for using pen pals in your speech room:

• Establish the rules for letter writing and how the letters will be exchanged (i.e., who will look for the mailbox, who will check the mailbox for new mail, who will mail out letters).

• Read the letters once per month and create suspense and excitement to read and dissect them.

• Establish a leader that directs conversations about the letters, what to write about, and what the students are learning by using pen pals.

Getting students ready to write and read!

You can direct your students to start a simple conversation with their pen pal partner by asking simple questions and getting to know each other. They can begin by asking about their interests, then share information about themselves. If they are interested in the same things, it will be easier for their pen pal to understand what they have to say.

Then share some information about themselves and their interests and ask questions about their pen pal's interests.

• Ask students to share their interests, and display them on the board or overhead. (It's best to ask open-ended questions so that students can give specific answers.)

• You may also want to create a list of possible hobbies and interests for students who do not have one or two favorites yet.

• Have your students share what they learn with the class

It is important to model appropriate language throughout the letter-writing process by sharing the rules for writing letters.

It is important to model appropriate language throughout the letter-writing process by sharing the rules for writing letters. For example, if you are modeling a letter for your students about their favorite book, you will want to model language that is appropriate for the age group:

• Do not use inappropriate or slang words.

• Use complete sentences and paragraphs and punctuate them correctly.

• Make sure it has a salutation, body and conclusion sentence/paragraphs (or whatever format you choose).

You could start by writing one letter per speech therapy group. Each student can add their own value to the letter while targeting their goals.

If you've ever written a letter to a pen pal, you know how much fun it can be. You get to share your own thoughts and experiences with another person. And since this is speech therapy, I don't need to tell you that it's also a great way to practice writing skills!

The best part about using pen pals as an activity in the classroom is that it's really easy for everyone involved:

• Students can write letters without having any pressure from me or anyone else at school - they can use their own words and ideas without feeling judged or pressured by anyone else's expectations.

• I don't have any prep work because all of the supplies are already provided (paper, envelopes). And there is no clean up involved if my students want more paper or envelopes after we're done!

You can read, dissect, and explore each letter that your students open. Use it as a foundation for conversations that target skills.

As a speech-language pathologist, you can use the mail your students receive to help them practice and improve their communication skills. You can also use it as a way to target other goals, such as social interactions or literacy skills.

Here are some ideas:

• Read the letters with your students in small groups or individually. Have them tell you about their day, or ask them questions about things that happened in class that day. You can also use this time for free language practice (e.g., how do we say “I am happy when I get letters from my pen pal”).

• After reading each letter, ask students what they want to talk about today based on what they read. This allows you to tailor the conversation around each individual student's needs and interests (e.g., one student might want to talk about how she made new friends at school today; another might want to discuss his favorite color). This is also an opportunity for self-expression if needed (e.g., “I am feeling sad because...”).

It can be fun to have a pen pal from within your school, district, or state. Students will love to see the different stamps on their letters and postcards. You may even find that students will ask about their pen pals when you are working in small groups or individual therapy sessions! I am all about little prep, universal activities that children love and target goals using - and this one is a gem!