505 Review

Convention: Commas in Friendly Letters

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Guide

Objective
Students will review Voice skills from Unit 5 and practice using commas correctly in friendly letters.

Teaching Notes

• Review Unit 5 skills: telling feelings, writing letters, creating mood, and using rhyme.
• Explain that commas are used in friendly letters after greetings and closings.
• Model correct comma placement in a simple letter.
• Read letters aloud to show pauses.

🧒 Student Worksheet

Helping Material

Friendly letters have special punctuation rules.
Commas help separate parts of a letter.

Use commas:

• After the greeting (Dear Mom,)
• After the closing (Love,)

Modeled Improvement (Before → After)

1. Before: Dear Mom
   After: Why it’s better:

2. Before: Love
   After: Why it’s better:

3. Before: Dear Sam
   After: Why it’s better:

4. Before: From Ben
   After: Why it’s better:

5. Before: Dear Grandma
   After: Why it’s better:

Writing Choices Q&A

1. What is a friendly letter?

2. Where does a comma go in a greeting?

3. Where does a comma go in a closing?

4. Are commas punctuation?

5. Do friendly letters need commas?

Mini Activities

1. Fix the Greeting
   Dear Dad

2. Fix the Closing
   Love

3. Choose the Correct One
   (Dear Mom / Dear Mom,)

4. Finish the Letter
   Write a closing line.

5. Draw and Write
   Draw someone you write to.

Writing Samples

(5 samples · 3–5 sentences · review of voice + commas in friendly letters)

Letter to Mom

Letter to Dad

Letter to Grandma

Letter to a Friend

Letter to Teacher

Reflection

• Where do you put a comma in a friendly letter?