A Message Someone Can Keep: Kindergarten Social Studies

This letters and phone calls worksheet asks children to compare ways people communicate and choose a method for a stated purpose. People can send a letter or make a phone call. A letter lets someone read the words again later. The illustrated activity includes two prompts and a conversation starter. Read the situation together, then look at the details named in the instructions before choosing, drawing, tracing, or explaining a response. An adult can read the words aloud so the child can concentrate on the idea being explored.

The first prompt is: Circle the way to send a written message. The second asks: Tell why someone might want to keep a letter. Take the prompts in that order, giving the child time to point out the relevant part of the scene or explain a choice. Ask what they noticed before offering your own example, and connect any mark on the page with its meaning.

Letters and phone calls can both be used today. Compare what each method allows, such as keeping written words or hearing a reply during a conversation. When the prompt asks about an adult’s childhood, listen to that person’s actual example; it may involve a different communication method from either picture. Keep comparisons grounded in the story or conversation. The conversation starter continues the activity: Ask a grown-up: How did you share news when you were a child?

Find more activities at this level in Kindergarten Social Studies Adventures. For another activity on the same topic, explore letters and phone calls printables. Use the page during a short conversation at home or in a small group. Finish by asking the child to explain one observation or decision in their own words; a specific example is more useful than repeating a rule without a reason.