Letter writing is part of the required curriculum.

It comprises of a standalone element teaching

correct styles of letter writing cross-curricular. Visits to museums or farms prompt thank you
letters, for example contacting schools in other countries and exchanging letters links into
geography. Writing imaginary letters to historical people can encourage understanding of a
historical period or topic PSHE. Writing letters encourages good social skills, learning to say
thank you and asking for information politely.

At home
Within the home, letter writing has many uses.

It encourages good manners, especially writing 'thank you' letters

Children can write invitations

Children can write letters to friends and relatives

Pen pals are always popular, giving insights into other children's lives, especially overseas

These are sometimes known as business letters. They are written in a strictly formal style. Such
letters are always written on an A4 (8" x 11" sheet of paper. They can be folded three times so
that the address to which the letter is being sent can appear in the window of a business
envelope. The layout is always the same.
Structure:

The senders address is put at the top right hand side

Include telephone number and email if available

The address of the person receiving the letter goes on the left hand side below the
sender's address
The date
Greeting Dear Sir or Madam. You can use the titles Miss, Mrs. or Mr. if you know the
name of the person to whom you are writing

The message

Complimentary close Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely

Signature

Write name in block letters (this is to ensure that the person receiving the letter knows
exactly who has sent it. Signatures may not be very clear)

Typical layout of a formal letter

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Activity 2c: Informal letters

These are letters to friends and relations, or people you know well. Structure:

The sender's address should always appear on the top right hand corner of the page.

Include telephone number and email if available

Greeting There are several variations that can be used depending on how well you
know the person: Dear Mary, Hi Mary, Greetings

Complimentary close short comment, for example Love, Lots of love, With thanks, See
you soon

Typical layout of an informal letter

Tips for writing good letters

Make sure that they are well written. It can be very annoying for someone to have to
struggle to read handwriting. Always use your best and clearest handwriting.

Make sure all your contact details are clearly written down at the top of the letter. If they
are not, then you might not get a reply. The correct address is essential.

Think about what you want to say. If necessary make some notes on a separate sheet of
paper first. This will ensure that you do not forget anything.

Think about to whom you are writing the letter. Use the right style of writing and
language formal or informal, business like or friendly.

Lay out your letter using paragraphs. This makes it easier for the reader.

What is a LETTER?
Letter - a written message addressed to a person or organization, company or an
institution. It could be a formal letter or a informal or friendly letter.
What are the Basic Parts of a Letter?
1. Date
The date line is used to indicate the date the letter was written. However, if your letter is
completed over a number of days, use the date it was finished in the date line. Write out
the month, day and year two inches from the top of the page.
2. Salutation
Also called the Greeting. Use the same name as the inside address, including the
personal title. If you know the person and typically address them by their first name, it is
acceptable to use only the first name in the salutation (for example: Dear Lucy:). In all
other cases, however, use the personal title and full name followed by a colon. Leave
one line blank after the salutation.
If you don't know a reader's gender, use a nonsexist salutation, such as "To Whom it
May Concern." It is also acceptable to use the full name in a salutation if you cannot
determine gender. For example, you might write Dear Chris Harmon: if you were unsure
of Chris's gender.
3. Body
The body is written as text. A business letter is never hand written. Depending on the
letter style you choose, paragraphs may be indented. Regardless of format, skip a line
between paragraphs.
4. Conclusion
The conlclusion summarizes the body of the letter. Most formal letters have a
conclusion, while some informal letter usually doesn't have a conclusion.
5. Closing
The closing begins at the same horizontal point as your date and one line after the last
body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only (for example: Thank you) and leave four
lines between the closing and the sender's name for a signature. If a colon follows the
salutation, a comma should follow the closing; otherwise, there is no punctuation after
the closing.
Other commonly used closing:
Sincereley, Sincerely Yours, Yours Truly, Respectfully Yours, and others

6. Signature
Type or print your name. The handwritten signature goes above this line and below the
close. The signature line and the handwritten signature are indented to the same
column as the close. The signature should be written in blue or black ink. If the letter is
quite informal, you may omit the signature line as long as you sign the letter.

Sample Request Letter

764 Freedom Lane
Clearwater Falls, FL 23619
September 27, 2013
Mr. Louis Henderson
Store Manager
The Corner Cafe
273 Main Street
Clearwater Falls, FL 23619
Dear Mr. Henderson:
My name is Cathy Pettis and I'm the chair of the Clearwater Falls Elementary School
Fundraising Committee. The committee is planning to hold a fundraiser next month to raise
funds for this years field trips and we're looking for donors to help out with providing goods for
the fundraising event.
If The Corner Cafe is willing to help donate some coffee and cups, we would greatly appreciate
it. Our fundraiser will be held on the morning of October 18th and we're expecting around 200
people to show up.
Thanks for your time and consideration, if you need to contact me with any questions, feel free
to call me at 555-555-5555, I'm available to speak between 10am-5pm on weekdays.
Sincerely,
Signature
Cathy Pettis