This week in English, our Year 4 children have been busy becoming letter detectives! Their mission: to explore and identify the key features of informal letters — the kind you might write to a friend or family member.
To begin, we read a few example letters written between friends and noticed how different they looked compared to formal letters or emails. The children quickly spotted that informal letters have a friendly, chatty tone — just like having a conversation on paper!
Together, we created a list of the important features every informal letter should include:
✉️ The sender’s address and date – usually written at the top so the reader knows when and where the letter was written.
👋 A friendly greeting – such as “Dear Ben,” or “Hi Grandma,” depending on who the letter is for.
💬 An opening paragraph – where the writer might ask how the reader is or mention something nice to start the letter off.
📝 The main body – where most of the details are shared, often including news, stories, or questions for the reader.
😊 A closing line – something warm like “Hope to see you soon!” or “Write back soon!”
✍️ A sign-off – like “Love from,” “Your friend,” or “Best wishes,” followed by the writer’s name.
“I didn’t realise letters had so many parts! Now I can write one that sounds just like I’m talking to my friend.” – Anaelle, Maple
After identifying these features, the children worked together to spot the different sections of a letter and label each part correctly. They discussed how each section helps the letter flow smoothly and keeps the reader engaged.
To test their detective skills, the children were then given a mixed-up letter! They had to work in groups to put all the sections back in the correct order. There were lots of thoughtful discussions (and a few debates!) about where each part should go. By the end, everyone was confident in recognising how an informal letter is structured from start to finish.
“I liked putting the letter back together because it felt like solving a puzzle — and now I know exactly what goes where when I write my own!” – Wais, Willow
“I liked learning about informal letters because you can make them sound friendly and write about things you really care about.” – Eva , Elm
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