“Why Downt You Riyt Back to Me?”

This article presents research that investigated how a school year‐long letter‐writing project between kindergarten students and extended family members could facilitate literacy development in students, as well as provide a way to build inter‐generational bonds through correspondence focused on family history and stories. Analysis centered on the body of correspondence between the students and their family members, and used a comparative analysis technique. Themes that emerged include how the project helped improve literacy skills, how letter‐writing encouraged students to write more, with longer thoughts and multiple ideas, and how the project helped develop stronger family bonds.