Letter Writing

Letter Writing

Introduction:

In the book, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, Leigh is a boy who writes stories, has a pen pal, and is interested in a lot of ideas. He misses his father who travels a lot and expresses his feelings in the letters he writes to Mr. Henshaw, the author of Leigh's favorite book.

Task:

You will discover information about letter writing, be exposed to the correct techniques for writing a formal letter, and read what others think of letter writing.

Resources:

Letter Writing (Activity 1)
How to Go On with a Letter (Activities 2 and 3)
How to End a Letter (Activities 4 and 5)
About Beverly Cleary

Activities:

1. Under the topic "Style of Writing," what are the suggestions for writing a letter?
2. What is the Golden Rule of beginning letter writing?
3. When responding to a friend's letter, what is the best way to begin?
4. List four ways to end a letter.
5. What should you do with the letter after it has been written?

Evaluation:

With the help of your classroom teacher, choose a penpal in your school from another classroom. Write letters to each other. After several weeks of correspondence, look at how your letters may have changed. What have you learned about writing letters?

Conclusion:

Letter writing has been a means of communication for many years. The invention of the typewriter, computer, and World Wide Web have changed the aspects of letter writing. In any form, writing letters is still a vital means of maintaining a close relationship with a friend or relative.

Updated October 09, 2004

All graphics used on these pages are assumed to be free
and/or public domain. If I have used a copyrighted graphic in error,
please contact me at my e-mail address immediately so
that I may give proper credit or remove the graphic from my site.

This web site created and maintained by Guelda Harris.