The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 54–57 · Part 1: Part First

20. The parts of a letter

Goal: Your child names the five parts of a letter and writes a friendly letter with all of them.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 7 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this lesson
  • Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)

What's in the book

Section 54 is a handwritten letter from eight-year-old Mabel Hood to her cousin Dorothy, from her summer home on an island. Sections 55 and 56 talk about it and name the parts of a letter. Section 57 is a handwritten pattern letter from Harold May, for copying.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Read Mabel's letter

    Read the handwritten letter on pages 62 and 63 with your child (help with the handwriting). Then Section 55: what messages did it carry to Dorothy?

  2. Name the parts (Section 56)

    Read Section 56 together. Find each part in Mabel's letter:

    1. The Heading: where and when it was written.

    2. The Salutation: to whom.

    3. The Body: the message.

    4. The Ending: a polite or friendly phrase, like "Your loving cousin".

    5. The Signature: the writer's name.

  3. Look at the pattern letter (Section 57)

    Look at Harold May's letter on page 66. The book says to use it as a pattern. Your child points to each of the five parts.

  4. Plan a letter

    Your child chooses a cousin or friend and tells you aloud what they would say: two or three bits of news and one question.

  5. Write it

    Your child writes a friendly letter of 5 to 8 sentences with all five parts, laid out like the pattern: heading at the upper right, salutation at the left, body, ending and signature toward the right.

  6. Check it gently

    Check one thing: are all five parts there, in the right places? Your child labels each part in pencil to check. Fix anything missing.

  7. What a good result looks like

    Example (written for this guide, not from the book):

    Maple Farm, Dover,

    June 12.

    Dear Cousin Ruth,

    We are at the farm for the summer. Yesterday I helped feed the calves, and one licked my hand. The creek is warm enough for wading now. When are you coming to visit?

    Your loving cousin,

    Ellen.

Afterwards

Copy Harold May's letter neatly (Section 57), then send the letter your child wrote.

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