Christmas is the opportune time to teach kids how to write the perfect thank you note. Sending hand written thank you notes is a wonderful gesture that people appreciate in our digital age. Most importantly, teaching your child this skill nurtures gratefulness and kindness. The perfect thank you note writing lesson walks you through preparation, introduction, and lesson components, so you can teach this skill with ease.
The Perfect Thank You Note Writing Lesson
PREPARATION
Get Notecards
First, select fun thank you notecards or make your own. Use white cardstock so kids can decorate the fronts with original drawings, stamps, or photographs. If you want to save time have your child make one drawing and photocopy it on your home printer to make several identical cards.
The thank you notes below are available in the Homeschool Notes Store. You can print them with the fill-in-the-blank format, for young writers, or print them blank on the inside.
Make List
Next, you’ll need to prepare a list of names and gifts. If you have young writers make the list on a whiteboard in large print so they can see it clearly. Children will get the satisfaction of checking off or erasing each person from the list as they finish.
Find a Sample
Finally, find a sample thank you note that someone sent you or write one that would provide a good example.
INTRODUCTION
Introduce the writing lesson with a discussion. Ask questions like the following:
- Have you ever received a thank you note? How did it make you feel?
- Why is it a good practice to write thank you notes?
- What do you think should be included in the perfect thank you note?
Tell your students that today they will learn what makes the perfect thank you note. Then they’ll practice writing one with you, and write thank you notes to their family members who gave them Christmas gifts.
THE PERFECT THANK YOU NOTE WRITING LESSON COMPONENTS
Parts of a Letter
First, teach the basic parts of a letter. A thank you note is similar to a friendly letter, but it’s shorter. Show an example of a thank you note that you received or the one you prepared ahead of time. Point out the date, greeting, body, and closing.
Thank You Note Model
Next, model writing the perfect thank you note on chart paper or a whiteboard. A gift the whole family received is a real life example that would make this step more meaningful. (You can do all the writing yourself, while talking out loud about what you are thinking and writing, or share the pen with your children to increase their involvement).
Write the date in the right-hand corner. Show your child how to move down a line and write the greeting on the left side.
First Sentence
The first sentence should start with “thank you” and state what you are thankful for.
Second Sentence
Explain to your children that you could stop there, but to make it the perfect thank you note you should add more. This is where you teach them how to elaborate. Help them come up with another sentence that expresses their gratitude even more.
Here are some sentence starters they can use:
- I like…
- I can’t wait to…
- I think it’s…
Sometimes kids get gifts they don’t like. Help them find something positive to say even if they don’t particularly like the gift. “Thank you for the new shirt. Green is my favorite color.”
Third Sentence
A third and final sentence wraps up the thank you note. Have students think about how they feel about the person to whom they are writing. The third sentence adds a personal touch, such as words of affirmation. Here are some possibilities:
- I appreciate you.
- You are so thoughtful.
- I can’t wait to see you again.
- You make me feel loved.
- I’m glad you’re my grandma.
If your child has lots to say, three sentences may be too constricting. Of course you want to encourage him to write as much as he can to express his thoughts. Use the three sentence formula as a guideline to help your child write the perfect thank you note that’s not too short.
Closing
After the body of the thank you note is finished, show your students how to writing a closing.
Finally, reread the thank you note together. Make any changes if necessary.
If you want your child to write the envelope as well, you’ll need to model this additional step.
Independent Writing Time
After you’ve modeled how to write the perfect thank you note, your children are ready to work independently. Offer assistance as they write. For example, refer them to the sample thank you note and ask them questions to help them think about what to say. Give them the sentence starters. Remind your children where to write on the card and how to line up their greetings and closings.
Using the perfect thank you note writing lesson will help your kids confidently express their thanks to those they love. It’s a great skill that they will use throughout their lives!
