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Helping grandchildren get in the habit of writing will make them better students - and better people.

Looking for a way to give your grandchildren a step up academically and boost their self-esteem as well? Get them writing. There are legitimate fears that writing well is becoming a lost art in America. According to the government's latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as "the nation's report card," only 33 percent of the country's eighth-graders are proficient in writing. Encouraging your grandchildren to put words to paper — starting when they are young — will help them get ahead and give you some priceless keepsakes. Here are five ways to get started:

A Love of Letters

Kids love getting mail, and sending letters to your grandchildren is a great way to prompt them to write. You can encourage them to write back to you by including a self-addressed stamped envelope or postcard with your note. Fun stationery can also motivate them. Mabel’s Labels sells a "Write On!" Stationery Kit, which comes with playful stickers and allows you to customize labels with your grandchild’s name.

Put Writing on the List

Invite your grandchild to come along with you to run some errands. (You may want to assure him that there will be treats involved.) Before going out, sit with your grandchild to compile a list of tasks for the day, but make him responsible for writing everything down. When you finish each task, give the child the satisfaction of crossing it off of the piece of paper. “This is simple but builds confidence,” says Celia Webb, president of children’s book publisher Pilinut Press.

Dear Travel Diary

When the family goes on vacation, recommend that the children keep travel journals they can share with you when they return. Hello Traveler sells a variety of crafty journals for kids for as low as $10.95. Make sure to give your grandchildren writing prompts before they leave, like “Did you see anything historical?” or “What was the best thing you ate?” The website Lucy Travels offers tons of writing prompts that are sure to get a child's creative juices flowing. Younger kids who aren't ready to keep a journal may be able to write captions for photographs from their trip.

Make History

Ask your grandchildren to work on a family history with you by coming along to interview other relatives about their memories. You can ask older children to think of questions before each visit, then to record the subjects' answers and work with you to type up the responses. They can also transcribe your own memories of late relatives. “The older they are, the more you can lean on them to produce a fair amount of it,” Webb says. “If you are working with a teenager they can do all the writing.”

Always Say Thank-You

Encourage grandchildren to send thank-you notes when they receive birthday or holiday gifts from you, or from other friends and relatives. Amy Adele sells cute, personalized children’s stationery starting at $19.95. Urge kids to come up with a special, personal message for each card, including the name of the gift they received, and what they liked most about it. If the gift was monetary, ask them to write how they plan to spend it.

Do your grandchildren ever write to you?   33 Answers Yes, and I save every note.    27.3% No, we just talk in person or on the phone.    72.7%

Do your grandchildren ever write to you?   Yes, and I save every note. No, we just talk in person or on the phone. Select your answer to see the current poll results.

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