It's Not Homework If It's on a Sticky Note

How it went: We've done this lots of ways, with notebooks and with sticky notes, at a table at home. When our daughter was about 4, copying letters got hard, and she said she couldn't do it. I sat down and showed her a big, complicated thing on my computer I was still struggling with. Same feeling, I told her. It's a little uncomfortable, but if you lean in and enjoy it, you'll grow faster than you ever imagined. She said, "Really?" After that she started to really love coloring and writing letters.

Why bother

They draw a picture on a sticky note, add five words or fewer, and hide it for someone at home. The drawing comes first, so it doesn't feel like homework. Five words max keeps spelling from becoming a fight. Someone finding it is a real reason to write.

You don't have to fix the spelling. "I luv yoo" is a complete letter.

Fair warning: you'll keep every one in a drawer.

What you'll need

• 3-by-3-inch sticky notes. We vetted these Post-it Super Sticky notes^* (affiliate link).
• Crayons. We vetted these Cra-Z-Art washable crayons^* (affiliate link) (labeled ages 3 and up).
• Two sharpened pencils and an eraser
• A mug to hold it all, on a table you've already got
• A folder for unfinished notes
• A handheld sharpener, for the adult

Quick start

• Put the sticky notes, crayons and pencils on the table.
• Ask, "Who gets a note today?" Pick one person or stuffed animal.
• Draw the message first.
• Add five words or fewer. Invented spelling counts, or you write what they say.
• Stick it where that person will find it, then walk away.
• It ends when the note's found. React to what it says, not how it's spelled.

Discover moment: Ask, "Can you tell the whole message with just the picture?" Try one with zero words.

Connect moment: Show them something you're still bad at, like your drawing of the dog. It'll be called a potato.

Too much? / Too easy?

Too much (3-4): They draw, you write the words they say. They're still the author.

Too easy (6-8): Code notes, one symbol per letter. Or move to a notebook: one drawing and one line a night.

Cleanup

Pencils and crayons go back in the mug. The sharpener goes up high. Unfinished notes go in the folder.

What I tell friends: Sticky notes and crayons on the table help. Admitting you're bad at stuff helps more.