You will learn
- Name the five parts.
- Write a greeting and closing.
- Write a body about news.
- Use correct punctuation.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Heading with date.
- Greeting: Dear Kofi,
- Body paragraphs.
- Closing and signature.
Words to know
a letter to a friend or family member
the opening: Dear…
the ending: Your friend,
your name at the end
1. Discover: A letter to a friend
12 March 2026
Dear Kofi,
How are you? I am well. Last week our class visited the museum. We saw old drums and masks. I hope you can come with us next time.
Your friend,
Ama
Think: What are the parts of this letter?
2. Understand: Parts of a friendly letter
Idea 1: Five parts
A friendly letter has a date, a greeting, a body, a closing and a signature.
Idea 2: Punctuation
Put a comma after the greeting (Dear Kofi,) and after the closing (Your friend,).
Idea 3: The body
Write your news in paragraphs. Ask a question and use a friendly tone.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Greeting
Write a greeting to Ayo.
- Dear…
Answer: Dear Ayo,
Example 2 (We do it together): Closing
Write a closing.
- Your friend,
Answer: Your friend,
Example 3 (You try): Parts
How many parts?
Show the steps and answer
- Count.
Answer: five
Did you know?
People wrote letters for thousands of years before email.
Why this matters
Letters let you share news and stay in touch.
4. Explore: Write a letter
Write a friendly letter.
- Write the date.
- Write the greeting.
- Write the body.
- Write the closing and name.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can write a friendly letter.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Dear ___,
- I want to tell you ___.
- I hope ___.
- Your friend, ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What follows Dear Kofi?
a comma
Question 2. What goes at the end?
closing and name
Question 3. What is the body?
the news
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A letter to a friend is a ___ letter.
- The opening is the ___.
- The ending is the ___.
- Your name at the end is the ___.
- After the greeting we put a ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Write a greeting to Tolu.
- Write a closing.
- Write a news sentence.
Level 3: Stretch
- Why a date?
- Why a comma?
- Why ask a question?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Write a friendly letter to a family member.
Show a sample answer
a letter
Another one. Write and decorate a letter to a friend.
Show a sample answer
a letter
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Add one.
Fix: Add commas.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name the five parts.
- I can write a greeting and closing.
- I can write the body.
- I can use correct punctuation.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Date, greeting, body, closing, signature.
- Commas after greeting and closing.
- Share news.
- Be friendly.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Posters. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name the five parts of a friendly letter. [5 marks]
- Write a greeting to Ayo. [1 mark]
- Write a closing. [1 mark]
- Where do commas go? [1 mark]
- Explain how to write a friendly letter. [3 marks]
Total: 11 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- date [1]; greeting [1]; body [1]; closing [1]; signature [1]
- Dear Ayo, [1]
- Your friend, [1]
- after greeting and closing [1]
- date and greeting [1]; body with news [1]; closing and name [1]
Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A letter to a friend is a ___ letter.
- The opening is the ___.
- The ending is the ___.
- Your name at the end is the ___.
- After the greeting a ___.
- True or false: a letter has a date.
- True or false: no closing.
- Write a greeting.
- Write a closing.
- Write a short letter.
Homework
Write a friendly letter to a family member.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A letter to a friend is a ___ letter. | friendly | 1 |
| 2. The opening is the ___. | greeting | 1 |
| 3. The ending is the ___. | closing | 1 |
| 4. Your name at the end is the ___. | signature | 1 |
| 5. After the greeting a ___. | comma | 1 |
| 6. True or false: a letter has a date. | true | 1 |
| 7. True or false: no closing. | false | 1 |
| 8. Write a greeting. | Dear Tolu, | 1 |
| 9. Write a closing. | Your friend, | 1 |
| 10. Write a short letter. | A letter | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 friendly; 2 greeting; 3 closing; 4 signature; 5 comma. Level 2: 1 Dear Tolu,; 2 Your friend,; 3 I went to the park.. Level 3: 1 when written; 2 punctuation; 3 friendly.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name the five parts | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Write a greeting and closing | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Write a body about news | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Use correct punctuation | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: No greeting. Add one.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use a letter frame.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child writes a friendly letter. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Help them post it.
- Read it.
- Praise friendliness.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name the five parts; write a greeting and closing; write a body about news; use correct punctuation.
Prerequisite knowledge. Creative storytelling.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show a letter.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the parts.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise.
Independent activity (10 min). Share.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Do I have all five parts?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use a frame. Extension. Write a reply.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. No greeting. Add one.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use a letter frame. Enrichment. Write a longer letter. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Speaking & Listening; Grade 2 » Writing. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.2.2b (use commas in greetings and closings of letters) and W.2.3; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (writing). These sources informed the lesson.