ABSTRACT
Although the importance of writing across the curriculum and in psychology courses has been widely discussed (BlevinsKnabe, 1987; Hardwick, 1983; Nodine, 1990), the use of interactive, intergenerational writing has been underexplored. Vipond (1993) described a project in which students in a university introductory psychology class write a booklet about psychology for a ninth-grade English class and revise it based on comments of the younger students. Junn (1989) discussed an exercise in which students in an upper division psychology course on parenting and family relations write personal letters to a future or actual child and to one or both of the students’ parents. Ashe (1987) and Gazda-Gtace (1987) described pen pal projects for younger students and elderly residents of local nursing homes. This article discusses a creative, interactive assignment for developmental psychology students and children that takes minimal classroom time, fosters greater understanding of children, and is enjoyable for participants. Other methods of intergenerational interaction, such as personal visits, interviews, and behavioral observations, have various limitations. For example, meeting children in person requires scheduling and travel and usually limits interaction to one or a few individuals in the nearby area. Nervousness, shyness, and unfamiliar surroundings can impede communication on the part of children and college students. With methods other than writing, visual impressions can lead to selective perceptions and misjudgments due to stereotypes. Contrarily, the written format promotes honest and sincere responses and gives students writing practice without the necessity for grading. Also, this method is not limited geographically. It began as a written exercise in which students compared their own essay predictions of what it is like to live as a child in today’s world with the children’s own essays on that question. It soon evolved to its present form of specific questions prepared by each class for the other. I added the other writing assignments discussed as I used the exercise.
