Writing an informal letter for a specified real-life purpose for Primary 4

Class: Primary Four
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 9 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Studies
Curriculum Theme: Writing
Focal competence: Writing informal letters
Skills:

• write informal letters

Previous Lesson: Main and Supporting Ideas in a Topical Informational Text
Topic: Informal Letters: Purposeful Writing
Subject Matter: Writing an informal letter for a specified real-life purpose

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the purpose and intended recipient of an informal letter.
• State the correct layout and features of an informal letter.

Psychomotor Domain

• Write an informal letter using the correct features and an appropriate tone.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Macmillan Primary English for Nigerian Schools, Primary 4
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Newspaper articles (for context of real-life communication)
• Flash cards showing parts of an informal letter
• Video material demonstrating how to write a letter
• Course books
• Sample informal letters
• Writing boards and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important because it equips pupils with the practical skill of writing personal letters to family and friends. Mastering informal letter writing helps pupils communicate effectively in everyday situations, fostering stronger personal connections and developing their written expression.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils should have basic knowledge of sentence construction, paragraph writing, and simple communication.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Informal Letters: Purposeful Writing

What is an Informal Letter?

An informal letter is a personal letter written to someone you know well, such as a friend, family member, or close acquaintance. It is usually written in a friendly and relaxed style.

Purpose of Informal Letters

Informal letters are written for various real-life purposes, including:

1. To share news or updates.
2. To invite someone to an event.
3. To thank someone.
4. To congratulate someone.
5. To express sympathy or offer comfort.
6. To ask for advice or information.

Features of an Informal Letter

An informal letter has specific parts that make it complete and easy to understand:

1. Sender’s Address and Date

This is your address and the date you are writing the letter. It is usually written at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Example:

1. No. 15, Adeola Street,
2. Surulere,
3. Lagos.
4. 20th October, 2024.

2. Salutation (Greeting)

This is how you greet the person you are writing to. It should be friendly and personal. It is written on the left side of the page, below the date.

Examples:

1. Dear John,
2. My Dearest Auntie,
3. Hello Mary,

3. Body of the Letter

This is the main message of your letter. It should be organised into clear paragraphs, with each paragraph discussing a different point or idea. The language should be friendly and conversational.

4. Complimentary Close

This is how you end your letter. It should be a friendly closing phrase, written on the right side of the page, below the body of the letter.

Examples:

1. Yours sincerely,
2. Your loving friend,
3. Best regards,
4. Lots of love,

5. Sender’s Name/Signature

This is your name, written below the complimentary close.

Tone and Language in Informal Letters

The tone of an informal letter should be friendly, warm, and personal. The language used should be simple, familiar, and conversational, just like you would speak to the person in real life. You can use contractions (e.g., “I’m,” “don’t”) and informal expressions.

Drafting, Editing, and Presentation

After writing the first draft of your letter, it is important to:

1. Drafting: Write down all your ideas first.
2. Editing: Check for any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Ensure your message is clear.
3. Presentation: Make sure your letter is neat and easy to read.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and asks them if they have ever written a letter or received one. The teacher then asks what kind of people they usually write to or receive letters from.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions, sharing their experiences with letters.

Learning Point: Introduction to letters

Step 2: Understanding Informal Letters and Purpose

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what an informal letter is and discusses various real-life purposes for writing them (e.g., inviting a friend to a birthday party, thanking an aunt for a gift). The teacher shows examples of simple informal letters.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and identify different purposes of the sample letters.

Learning Point: Purpose of informal letters

Step 3: Identifying Features and Layout

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Visual Aid

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher uses flashcards or writes on the board to demonstrate the correct layout of an informal letter, pointing out the sender’s address, date, salutation, body, complimentary close, and sender’s name.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils observe the layout and identify each part as the teacher explains.

Learning Point: Informal letter layout

Step 4: Practicing Salutation and Complimentary Close

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to practice writing suitable salutations and complimentary closes for different recipients (e.g., “Dear Mum,” “Yours lovingly,” “Hi Peter,” “Best regards”).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils practice writing various salutations and complimentary closes.

Learning Point: Salutations and closes

Step 5: Organising the Body and Tone

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Modelling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains how to organise the body of the letter into clear paragraphs and discusses the friendly, conversational tone appropriate for informal letters. The teacher provides a simple scenario and models a paragraph.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and suggest ideas for paragraph content based on the scenario.

Learning Point: Body and tone

Step 6: Drafting, Editing, and Presentation

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Instruction/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the importance of drafting, editing for mistakes (spelling, grammar), and presenting a neat letter. The teacher reminds pupils to write clearly and legibly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and understand the steps for refining their letters.

Learning Point: Letter refinement process

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Mention two purposes of writing an informal letter.
2. What are two main parts of an informal letter?
3. Give an example of a suitable salutation for your friend.
4. Why is it important to edit your letter?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding informal letters

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the features of an informal letter into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds pupils that informal letters are for personal communication and should be friendly and well-structured. The teacher encourages them to practice writing letters to their family and friends.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and reflect on the lesson.

Learning Point: Informal letter importance

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Write an informal letter for the following purpose:

1. Imagine your best friend has moved to another town. Write a letter to them telling them about something exciting that happened at school this week and how much you miss them.

Lesson Keywords

• Informal – Friendly and relaxed, not official.
• Letter – A written message sent to someone.
• Purpose – The reason for doing something.
• Salutation – The greeting at the beginning of a letter (e.g., Dear).
• Complimentary Close – The polite ending of a letter (e.g., Yours sincerely).
• Recipient – The person who receives something.

Differentiation

Support for Weaker Learners: Provide sentence starters and a template with blank spaces for them to fill in the parts of the letter. Offer more direct examples and one-on-one guidance during writing activities.

Extension for Faster Learners: Encourage them to write a longer letter with more details or to write a letter for a more complex purpose, such as inviting a friend to a sleepover and listing things to bring.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For a video on writing informal letters, search on YouTube for: how to write an informal letter primary school

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, prepare sample informal letters (handwritten or printed) for different purposes. Ensure you have flashcards or a clear board space to demonstrate the letter layout. Begin by engaging pupils with real-life scenarios where they might write or receive an informal letter. Guide them through each part of the letter, emphasizing the friendly tone and clear paragraph organisation. Encourage pupils to participate by suggesting appropriate greetings and closings. During Step 6, stress the importance of reviewing their work for errors. Pupils should copy the Board Summary notes in Step 8. Circulate around the classroom to check for understanding and provide individual support. For weaker learners, simplify the writing task or provide a partially completed letter. For faster learners, encourage more descriptive language and varied sentence structures.