Letter from Their View

Your child writes a short letter or piece from the point of view of someone they disagree with, trying to argue that person's side fairly. A thoughtful writing exercise in stepping into another set of shoes.

How to do it

1. Together, pick a topic where your child holds a clear opinion and someone else sees it differently.
2. Ask them to name the other person's main reasons as fairly as they can, before writing anything.
3. Have them write a short letter or piece in the first person as that other viewpoint, making its best honest case.
4. Ask them to read it back and check whether they wrote a fair version or a weak, easy-to-knock-down one.
5. Talk afterwards about anything they understood better, without either of you having to change your own view.

What you need

• Paper
• Pen
• Topic

Make it yours

Younger, 9-10 years: Keep it to a few spoken sentences or a very short note rather than a full letter. Older, 12 years and up: Write both sides as two letters and compare which was harder. Siblings: Each writes from the other's real viewpoint, then reads it aloud to check it feels fair.