Writing Friendly Letters
Writing Friendly Letters Objective: Students will learn how to write a friendly letter by using a proper greeting, body, and closing, focusing on clear and complete sentences.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the parts of a friendly letter: greeting, body, and closing.
- Write a friendly letter using complete sentences.
- Use correct spacing and punctuation in letter writing.
Materials Needed
- Paper
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Examples of friendly letters (printed or digital)
- Envelope (optional)
Key Vocabulary
- Greeting
- The opening of a letter where you say hello to the person you are writing to.
- Body
- The main part of the letter where you write your message.
- Closing
- The last part of the letter where you say goodbye or end the letter.
Detailed Activities
Introduction to Friendly Letters
- Show an example of a friendly letter and point out the greeting, body, and closing.
- Explain each part and why it is important.
- Discuss with the student who they might want to write a letter to.
Writing Practice
- Help the student brainstorm a simple message for their letter.
- Guide the student to write a greeting, body, and closing on their paper.
- Encourage the student to use complete sentences and proper spacing.
Sharing and Review
- Read the letter together aloud to practice fluency.
- Discuss what was done well and gently correct any mistakes.
- Optionally, place the letter in an envelope to send or keep.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to think about someone they care about to make writing the letter more meaningful.
- Be patient and offer lots of praise to build confidence in writing skills.
- Use the example letter as a guide but allow your child to express their own thoughts.
Assessment Questions
- Can your child identify the greeting, body, and closing in a letter?
- Does your child use complete sentences in their letter?
- Is the letter written neatly with appropriate spacing?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child write letters to family members or friends and mail them.
- Create a class or family mailbox to encourage regular letter writing.
- Explore different types of letters, such as thank you notes or invitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Focus on expressing ideas with simple sentences first, and provide lots of encouragement. You can write together and let your child copy or dictate sentences.
Use the example letter provided as a model, and guide your child step-by-step. The key is to support their creativity and help them understand the letter parts.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse the greeting with the closing.
- Students might write incomplete sentences or run-on thoughts.
- Some may not understand the importance of spacing and punctuation.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Allow verbal dictation of the letter with you writing the words.
- Use sentence starters or fill-in-the-blank letter templates.
- Practice one letter part at a time before writing the whole letter.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage adding more details and descriptive sentences.
- Introduce the concept of paragraphs in the letter body.
- Have students illustrate their letters or write letters on different topics.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10 minutes on introduction and explanation.
- Allow 20 minutes for writing practice with support as needed.
- Use the last 15 minutes for sharing, review, and reinforcing concepts.
Standards
- 2.W.5 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Printable Worksheet
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