Five-Minute Activities for Young Learners

partner about ways to improve their writing, e.g. they may observe errors
in spelling, grammar, vocabulary or punctuation, or they may suggest
some additional ideas.
Box 103
Absentee letter scaffolding
Date: . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dear . . . . . . . . . . . .
I’m sorry I was absent from school on . . . . . . . . . . . .  (When? Which day?)
I had . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (A toothache? A stomach ache?)
Your student
. . . . . . . . . . . . (Your name)
Follow-up
• When children are absent from school in the future, refer them to the
absentee letter scaffolding poster and ask them to write you an absentee
note.
• For other cards, letters and emails, see Activities 2.12, 4.8, 5.15, 6.8.