Friendly letters are simple to create as long as students follow the correct format.
Prewriting a Friendly Letter
To Whom? First, students must decide on the recipient of the letter. Is the letter for a friend, family member, or teacher? Students should keep this in mind before they begin to write because it will dictate the 'voice' and vocabulary of the letter.
Ideas? Students should write down all the ideas they want to include in the letter. They should gather all the details they need. Do they want to share a story in their letter? Perhaps they want to discuss an experience. Students often describe events or daily routines in their lives within a letter. Maybe the student wants to write a letter discussing a book they have read, or a movie they have seen.
Write a heading that includes your address and the date in the upper right-hand corner.
The salutation or greeting begins with the word Dear and is followed by the person's name and a comma (e.g. Dear David,). The salutation goes in the left-hand corner below the heading.
The body of the letter is where all the main ideas are found. The body is located on the second line below the salutation.
The closing is found two lines below the body. The first word is capitalized and is followed by a comma. Closings are usually written as, "Sincerely,", or "Yours truly,”
The signature is the name of the writer.
Revision
It is important to go over the letter and make sure that it is simple to read. Students should read the letter as if they were the recipient. They should make sure the letter is enjoyable to read.
Editing
Students should check over their letter for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. More importantly, students should check their letters for proper format.
By following the correct format, students will improve their letter writing skills.
