Here is a small excerpt of the Grandparent Interview Essay that my daughter wrote, for my mom. We did some work with the Five Senses (freebie here) to be able to describe all four grandparents’ physical traits and personality. Those types of descriptions added some richness to the factual nature of the rest of the essay!

Grandparent Interview Writing Project

Today I would love to share another homeschool writing tip, from our {very officially named} Homeschool Writing Experiment this year! I have been sharing on the blog how the past two years, I have been frustrated trying to find the “perfect fit” for writing instruction in our homeschool. You can read how that all started, here!

Throughout this 2025-2026 school year so far, my kids and I have tested out many different genres of writing. My goal, by the end of the year, is to reach all 15 genres I have planned! Some of these genres include unique writing projects like:

• A Restaurant Review, which can involve the whole family!
• A Creative POV Story {we did ours based on the POV of a bug, in our house!}
• A formal letter to a company or brand you like
• A Sibling Story Comic, based loosely on Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• A Movie Review {grab a free template here to try it out!}

Today, I would love to share about the Grandparent Interview!

Grandparent Interview Writing Project

The Grandparent Interview Writing Project was, by far, the most meaningful writing project we tackled this year. I thought back to when I was in elementary school. I remember having to interview my grandpa for an assignment when we were learning about World War II. I believe it was fifth or sixth grade. My Grandpa served in the Navy in World War II, so he had a lot of incredible stories to share! I remember him recounting events in great detail, and also tearing up as he thought of his friends and fellow servicemen.

Even though, at 11, I wasn’t old enough to fully grasp the gravity of his experience, I loved my grandpa, and I knew his words were important. His story was important to preserve.

Recreating the experience for my own kids

I knew I wanted to recreate that special experience for my own kids. I think interviewing is a great life skill! Before we did the interviews, we talked about the importance of good manners, respectful listening skills, and ways to have the interviewee expound on a story that’s interesting. My kids are close with both my parents, and in-laws, but I still wanted them to understand the importance of showing respect and care when asking questions. I wanted all four grandparents to feel valued and, that their time and experiences were appreciated!

I found this YouTube video online, which gave the kids some good context for their first interview experience. Next, we brainstormed questions together. Brainstorming is a huge part of our writing process, no matter the genre! We thought of some great questions to ask, with a big emphasis on the grandparents’ childhood experiences.

Incorporate history

Three out of four grandparents grew up in the 1960’s, so it was fun to hear some repeated reminiscing on the historical events they remember! The moon landing, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights movement were three big events mentioned by all. My father-in-law is Guatemalan, and grew up in the 1950’s, so he had unique perspectives to share as well!

Since my kids have little context for some of these historical events, I encouraged them to ask follow-up questions if they felt the need. We also discussed them after the fact, when we were going over the interview responses.

An easy way to extend this project is to discuss, and even do some extra research about the historical events your own parents/grandparents mention! My kids are in 2nd grade and 4th grade this year, so it was mainly my 4th grader who did some extra research.

Fun cultural comparisons

Another really fun element to this homeschool writing project was the cultural comparisons! My kids asked their grandparents what types of toys they played with, and what types of things were invented during the decade they grew up. My daughter was tickled that her grandma dreamed of having her own Barbie Jeep (special Christmas delivery from Santa), and marveled that she didn’t have a microwave in their home until she was a teenager. They also asked about their grandparents’ first job experiences, and what school was like for them. They were fascinated that my mother-in-law was required to do cursive handwriting every day. She even had to balance a penny on her hand while she wrote, so that her writing was perfectly even!

An enriching experience for all

We have done a lot of fun writing genres so far this year, but the Grandparent Interviews were the most meaningful. I was so glad my kids were able to learn some unique facts about each grandparent–things that don’t always come up in normal conversation! I would encourage you to try a project like this in your own family, if you are able. I think it communicates a sense of honor and respect, and is hugely beneficial for the kids, too.

If you try it out, let me know how it goes! Here are some different forms I created, by age:

Grandparent Interview for PK-K-1 (yes, they can be included too! :))

Grandparent Interview for 2nd-3rd graders

Grandparent Interview for 4th-5th graders

BUNDLE: all forms, PK-5th grade, if you have multiple kids. Also includes the Grandparent Interview Extension Ideas, to extend the learning in creative ways.

Cait