This is an idea from HSLDA interview and email:

Is there a way to create “bite-sized” homeschooling opportunities for grandparents?

HSLDA’s Home School Heartbeat host Mike Smith asked guest Valerie Monk today how she persuaded grandparents to become involved in the homeschooling process, and how that impacted her children’s educational experience. Valerie responded:

"Well, in the beginning, both sets of grandparents worked and lived about an hour away. So we started sending our young children’s paragraphs and stories to them by mail. The grandparents loved them, and even started writing back to each child."

"Even now, they eagerly await our older teens’ high school and college essays. We also invited them to our history fairs and talent shows, where they could serve as judges or coordinators, and to the end of the year celebrations, where they could see the children’s schoolwork and accomplishments."

“Our children began to see that it wasn’t just mom and dad who were interested in this education thing, and our children and their grandparents have developed a close relationship, where they really know each other.”

Think how things have changed now with the ease of communication within the time frame of this particular family’s childhood education years. Wow! Now that scanning, faxing, emailing, video-camming, blogging, picture-loading, and everything else-digital can be so instantaneous, we might forget what the Post Office looks like. So there isn’t much of an excuse to stay involved anymore, is there?

Other ideas? How do you stay involved in your grandchildren’s reading skills growth, or how have you helped your children’s grandparents become involved?