Selection of an interesting formal letter recipient adds motivation for grade schoolers to start the letter-writing process. Ask your child to make a list of at least five possible recipients, and talk about the possible content for a letter to each of the names on the list to narrow the letter-writing project to a single name. Some suggestions for children without any idea of a recipient include soldiers, government officials or local business owners. Ask your child to select a formal title for the letter recipient at this step in the letter-writing process. Introduce the concept of titles of respect such as "Ms." Grade schoolers selecting recipients with formal degrees, such as doctor, also need a brief overview of what these titles mean and how to use them. Children also need to research a snail mail or online address for the letter recipient.
Children who select an interesting and appropriate recipient have something important to say in the content of the formal letter. Ask your grade schooler to brainstorm some ideas for the letter content by listing a few words on lined paper to include in sentences for the correspondence. Early elementary students can practice the sentences for the letter by writing a single sentence using the brainstormed words. Upper elementary students have the ability to write a rough draft and edit the text before writing a final draft.
The tone of a formal letter differs from a casual note and children must understand this difference to put the letter into the formal writing category. Talking to your child about the difference in addressing friends compared with how the grade schooler addresses parents and teachers helps your child understand the concept of the proper tone for the letter project. Introducing the concept of tone before starting the writing process helps avoid a wholesale rewrite of the letter.
Students can have a choice of several formal formats, including indented and block styles, but grade schoolers using computer software programs typically have a template for formal correspondence. Students supply the appropriate address and text, and the software automatically formats the letter. Grade schoolers without software place the home address at the top of the letter followed by the date. The recipient's address and the salutation follow the body. Students then use a formal close such as "sincerely" before the child signs the letter using both first and last names. Some teachers ask students to write the letter using pen and paper so grade schoolers learn the formal format. Children who understand how to address an envelope also have the skills to use snail mail, even if the grade schooler plans to send the letter using email or a text attachment. The envelope for a formal letter places the student's address on the top left corner of the envelope and centers the recipient's address on the envelope front using the same formal title used on the formal letter.