| Activities
Friendly Letters
Practice writing skills by composing a short friendly
letter
Introduction
In the Maya & Miguel episode “The
Letter,” when Maya finds a letter left on Miguel’s
desk, she assumes the letter is written by Miguel to a pretty
girl in their class named Esperanza. Thinking that her brother
might need a little help in making friends, Maya (with the
eager assistance of Maggie and Chrissy) tells Esperanza
how wonderful Miguel is. The Tres Amigas (three friends)
have some explaining to do when it is discovered that Miguel
didn’t write the letter. Andy did!
In this activity, letter form and age-appropriate English
and Spanish language will be used to write a short, friendly
letter to mail to someone special.
Materials:
- paper
- writing tool (pen or pencil)
- 5 Parts of a Friendly Letter (listed below)
Directions: Write
a friendly letter! Read the friendly letter to your child.
Ask your child to repeat the letter in English, Spanish,
or his/her own native language. Then ask your child to copy
the friendly letter and draw a picture to go with the message.
Help your child fold, address and mail the letter to someone
special.
| Dear
___________, |
(date) |
How are
you doing? I like playing and having fun with friends.
I also like reading books, taking care of my pet,
and watching cartoons. How do you like to have fun?
Maybe we can play together sometime. Write me back
as soon as you can.
|
| Your friend, ______________ |
|
Talk About It: Ask
your child to tell you how he/she feels after receiving
a card or letter in the mail from someone special. Then
use a calendar to mark birthdays of family members and special
friends so they can be remembered with a friendly card or
letter.
Take It Further:
Using the 5 Parts of a Friendly Letter (listed below), write
a simple letter to your child. Read the letter to your child
and ask him/her to help you identify the 5 parts of your
friendly letter. Use English language, Spanish, or your
own native language to read and talk about the letter. This
is a nice way to share feelings with your “someone
special.”
5 Parts of a Friendly Letter
1. Heading -- tells when the letter was written
(date). Place in top right corner.
2. Greeting -- says hello and usually begins with “Dear.”
3. Body -- the main part of the letter where you tell something
or ask questions
4. Closing -- says goodbye
5. Signature -- tells who wrote the letter
With a Group: Arrange
a pen pal letter exchange with another group of English
language learners/speakers. Ask someone to translate letters,
if needed. Help each child compose a friendly letter and
draw a picture to include with the letter. Seal letters
and mail. What a fun way to start new friendships!
|
