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Practice penmanship and handwriting skills.
Compose a letter to a friend or family member.

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For each student:

Pen or pencil
Notebook or writing paper, or letter stationary
(Optional) Envelope

For the whole group

Whiteboard or anchor chart

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Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.

Review the website for background information on writing friendly letters

Letter Writing

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Introduce the activity. Ask students to describe ways to communicate with friends or family members who live far away. Discuss methods such as email, text messages, telephone calls, and internet video conferencing.
Ask students if they have ever received a letter in the mail. Discuss how people used to write letters and send them through the postal service, today sometimes called “snail mail” because it moves much more slowly than other methods of communication. Discuss how letters once took months to arrive but now might be delivered in 3 days or less.
Review the basic elements of a letter.Introduction or Greeting (Hello, Hey there, Howdy, Hi, or Dear <name>)Body of the letter (personal news, questions for the recipient, any topic of interest )Conclusion (Talk to you later, Sincerely, Love) with signature
As a group, brainstorm possible topics for a letter to a friend or family members. Consider these ideas:
- Life at home or school
- Favorite sports, games, movies, or television shows
- Thoughts about the weather or current events
- Holiday or summer vacation plans
- Ideas or plans for getting together
- Questions for the person receiving the letter, and a suggestion that they write back
Tell students that they may choose from any or all of the ideas listed on the board, or other ideas that appeal to them. Have them select someone to write the letter to, and then begin writing.
Circulate through the room to answer student questions or to clarify information. Be ready to offer ideas on topics for the letters. Encourage students to avoid erasing or crossing off sentences or paragraphs. Instead, tell students to complete their letter as well as possible without redoing any sections. If time allows, they may write a second letter.
Monitor students’ handwriting. Remind students to write each letter clearly and carefully so that it is legible. Also remind them to sign their letters with their full names.
Reconvene the whole group. Instruct students on folding their letters and putting them inside the envelopes. Describe the text for the outside of the envelope:
- The recipient’s address in the middle section of the envelope, including first and last name, street address; and city, state, and zip code
- The sender’s address in the upper left corner
- A postage stamp in the upper right corner.
Wrap-up the activity with a whole-group discussion:
a. Why is clear handwriting important when you write a letter?b. Why might people be using handwriting less often than they did 40 years ago? c. How is a handwritten letter different than an email? How is it similar?
Have students take their letters home with them. Encourage students to find the address of the recipient, add a postage stamp, and post the letter in the mail. Alternatively, if the recipient is local, they may hand deliver the letter.

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Use this activity to teach or practice cursive handwriting.

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Students participate in a variety of speaking and writing activities, helping them practice many essential language arts skills.

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Snail Mail: Handwriting Practice

Snail Mail: Handwriting Practice

Snail Mail: Handwriting Practice

Overview