Where do you start your letters at the top

Where Do You Start Your Letters? At the TOP!

Do you remember way back a few months ago when Mat Man was all the rage in the Rivers Class?

When children were building Mat Man and learning about big, lines, little lines, big curves and little curves?

Mat Man provided the children with some experience using the basic lines that are used to form each letter of the alphabet.  Since then, there have been many other ways in which children have explored with letters and big and little lines and curves:

They have used magnetic lines and curves to make letters…

Stamped letters in play dough…(and served cookies!)…

Made letters at the light table…

Noticed letters in books…

Used letters to add friends’ names to messages…

But in the past few weeks, children have really been working at making letters using correct formation. What does that mean, you ask?  Well, first and foremost, as the old song goes, “Where do you start your letters ? At the top!”  (Ask your child to sing the song for you!)

We use the Handwriting Without Tears program, which helps children to form letters in the most efficient way possible. Children’s natural starting position is often at the bottom of the page, but starting from the top helps children to form letters efficiently using the fewest strokes, and helps to minimize letter “reversals.” Down the road, we hope for children to write letters fluently so they can get their thoughts out on the paper efficiently and legibly.  We hope that children will learn to start their letters using correct formation at the top early because it can be a hard habit to break later on! 

The children engage in letter formation using a multi-sensory approach.  By repeating the letter formations over and over, they will eventually make the letters automatically. 

Children have painted the first letter of their name on large paper.  Using the whole arm to paint on a vertical surface, engages different muscles and movement than does fine motor work that would happen on a flat surface.  Children first say “Hi!” to Smiley, a little smiley face in the upper left hand corner, which helps with the starting point and orientation.   Then, children use a dry paintbrush to make the lines, followed by three different paint colors, saying the words as they form the letter: “Big line down, frog jump to the top, little line, little line, little line.  E!” 

Children have also practiced their letters using “Wet, Dry, Try”, which utilizes more fine motor skills.  First, they use a wet sponge, to ‘erase’ the chalk letter.

Then, a tiny paper towel is used to ‘dry’ the lines, and finally, children ‘try‘ the letter by writing it with chalk.  Each time, children use the same routine: “Hi Smiley!”  Starting at the top, using the same motions each time, they say the the words that describe the lines used and the process to to create the letter. “Big line down, frog jump, big line, big line, big line, M.”

The repetition using different mediums helps children to gain fluency with making the letters correctly.  All children have practiced at least the first letter in their name, and some have done a few more. Some even tried making rainbow letters. 

Some children also added their first letter when they made messages for friends.  

It can be powerful, fun, and practical to know how to do something so well! 

Kristen Jordan

Teacher, Rivers Class

Kristen Jordan began helping at Mustard Seed School in 2006, after her daughter had been a student in the preschool. She substituted for many years in all grades; in 2011, she returned to the classroom and has been a teacher in The Nest ever since.

Prior to the birth of her daughter Clara, in 2002, Ms. Jordan worked in Brooklyn as a first grade teacher with the New York City Public Schools. During this time, her school collaborated with the Brooklyn Museum, and this work helped Ms. Jordan develop a real interest in the parallels between the process of making art and the process of writing in the classroom. She thoroughly enjoys teaching both art and literacy to preschoolers.

Ms Jordan’s background includes work with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. While at Teachers College, she trained with esteemed educator and author Lucy Calkins. Early in her teaching career, Ms. Jordan did not think that she wanted to teach very young children but her view has changed! She now really enjoys and takes great interest in young children and their development.

Ms. Jordan enjoys reading, working out, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her daughter and family. Although she has lived on the East Coast for a very long time, as a native of Oregon, she really loves the mountains!

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Get Set for School Sing Along (Pre-K) Free Music Samples

• Fun songs and fingerplays promote school readiness.
• Music develops body awareness and listening skills.
• Body parts and animal legs help teach counting skills.​

You may purchase this album in CD format from our store.

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Songs

• Where Do You Start Your Letters?
• Alphabet Song
• Alphabet Song (Instrumental)
• There's a Dog In The School
• Crayon Song
• Magic C
• Hello Song
• Mat Man
• Count on Me
• Five Fingers Play
• Toe Song
• Bird Legs
• Animal Legs

• The Ant, the Bug & the Bee
• Spiders Love to Party
• Ten Little Fingers
• My Teacher Draws
• Puffy Fluffy
• Tap, Tap, Tap
• Golden Slippers (Instrumental)
• Skip To My Lou
• Down on Grandpa's Farm
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Rain Song
• Wood Piece Pokey

Sing, Sound & Count with Me (Pre-K) Free Music Samples

• Spirited music helps children learn language and number skills.
• Use the Sing, Sound & Count With Me to reinforce new skills and concepts.

​You may purchase this album in CD format from our store.

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Songs

• It's Pre-K!
• The Ants Go Marching
• I'm Happy to See You
• I'm Happy to See You (Spanish)
• Shape Song
• Counting, Counting
• Apples and Bananas
• Smile!
• Counting Candles
• Hurry Burry
• Sing Your Name
• Pattern Dance
• I Am a Fine Musician
• Counting at the Table
• Dolphins Swim

• Syllable Sound Off
• Inside, Outside
• Tickledee-dee
• Leaves and Branches, Trunk and Roots
• Big Numbers
• Animals in the House
• That Would Be Me!
• Letters Together Make Words
• Rhyming Riddles
• It's Line Up Time
• Starting Sound Shuffle
• Dumplin' Song
• Rowboat, Rowboat
• Ballet Dancing Truck Driver

Rock, Rap, Tap & Learn (PreK-2) Free Music Samples

• Engaging music captivates students and inspires active learning.
• Stomp to the beat to develop pencil grip and posture for writing.
• Rock, rap, and tap to learn letter and number formations.

​You may purchase this album in CD format from our store.

Purchase the CD

Click the links for 15-second previews of our songs.

Songs

• Alphabet Boogie
• Where Do You Start Your Letters?
• Air Writing
• Hey, Hey! Big Line
• Diagonals
• Big Line March
• Sentence Song
• My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean
• Picking Up My Pencil
• Stomp Your Feet
• Vowels
• Frog Jump Letters
• Give It A Middle

• Give It A Top
• Sliding Down to the End of the Alphabet
• CAPITALS & lowercase
• Magic C Rap
• Diver Letters’ School
• Descending Letters
• Number Song
• My Teacher Writes
• 10 Fingers
• Mat Man Rock
• Head and Shoulders, Baby!
• Tapping to the ABC’s

all the rules and best advice

Even after the advent of smartphones and social networks, business correspondence in English remains relevant. Are you looking to work with partners from the UK and the US, or perhaps you are planning to work in a foreign company? Then you just need to know how to write such letters. This article contains the basic rules and secrets of correspondence. Let's figure out the structure and content together, and also learn how to write letters that attract customers and increase loyalty. nine0003

A well-formed and structured letter, which follows the rules of business correspondence, is important when meeting partners for the first time. With a personal acquaintance, they are met by clothes, and in correspondence - by the correct turns, carefully selected words and sentences.

By following the rules of business correspondence in English , you can always:

• Congratulate colleagues on upcoming holidays;
• Send a notification to employees that they are hired or, conversely, fired;
• Politely refuse the offer of cooperation.
• Make a formal request for information.
• Make a complaint or claim.
• And much more.

Of course, there are countless other tasks you can do with business letters: Inquiry Letter, Acceptance, Reply Quotation. However, to consider each message in detail, more than one article is needed. Below we will talk about the types of business letters that are most often used in correspondence. nine0003

The modern world is rapidly moving towards integration. As a result, even small companies have to correspond with specialists living in different parts of the globe. Most correspondence is conducted in English, so learning English with a native speaker is one of the best ways to develop a career.

Knowing how to write a business letter in English you will take a big step forward towards a profitable contract.

The main purpose of such a letter is to offer a product or service. This is a common procedure in business circles when a company intends to arouse the interest of a potential partner. Commercial offer contains conditions, proposals for cooperation.

October 30, 2021

Dear Sirs,

Our company Soft Course is quite new in the region, it was established last year, but in spite of this, we have already proven to be professionals and have a number of good reviews. We offer qualified services in software maintenance at reasonable prices. This month we have a special offer for you and your office equipment with a good discount. For more information, you may call 555-55-55. nine0003

With respect,

Daniel Cooper,

General Manager

CEO

Soft Course

4567 Golden Street

Fresno, CA

To: StanleyCo Ltd

9034 Cooper Street

Fresno, CA

US

October 30, 2021

Dear Sirs!

Our company "Soft Plus" exists not so long ago, it was founded last year, but despite this we have already established ourselves as professionals and have a number of good reviews. We offer qualified software maintenance services at reasonable prices. This month we have a special offer with a good discount for you and your office. For more information call 555-55-55

Best regards,

Daniel Cooper,

General Manager

Application letters are often found among a wide variety of business letters. They are compiled for different purposes: obtaining a new position, entering a university, earning scholarships. Application letter has no rigid framework and is always written in free form. It may contain an advertisement for a product, an offer of cooperation, or an invitation to a personal meeting to discuss urgent matters. nine0003

The second name is a complaint letter. For example, the client was dissatisfied with the quality of the goods and demands compensation. The basic rules of business writing in English, as well as the right words, will play a decisive role in the consideration. It is important to be direct, but to remain tactful. nine0003

In response to a complaint, a company that has released a mediocre product sends a Letter of Apology to the customer. The document contains an apology in writing, possible compensation.

We received your letter on June 12 about the delivery of the wrong equipment. We apologize for the inconvenience. The equipment you ordered was shipped today. In this email, we have included a seven percent discount coupon for your next purchase. In addition, we have deducted shipping costs. Once again, I want to say that we are sorry for the inconvenience caused. We look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely yours,

Sample letter in English

Russian translation

Dear Mr. …, nine0002 We have received your letter of June 12 about the shipment of wrong equipment. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience. The equipment you ordered has been shipped today. In this letter, we have enclosed a discount coupon for seven percent off your next purchase. In addition, we have also deducted the cost of shipping. Let me say again how much we regret any inconvenience. We look forward to serving you in the future. Yours sincerely, Signature

The name of the letter indicates that the sender wants to receive an answer to some question. When compiling a document, the sender tries to make it as concise as possible. It also indicates contact details (phone, e-mail) for a quick response.

How to write a business letter in English when it comes to Acceptance letter? Companies send them after the package, a package of documents, so that the client confirms receipt. They act like a receipt, showing appreciation, respect.

When applying for a prestigious company, it is important to send a CV in English, supplement it with a letter of recommendation. Modern rules for writing a business letter in English will make it literate and concise. The former employer or colleague takes part in writing. nine0003

How to start a business letter in English if you want to thank the client for a large order, and the hotel for the quick booking confirmation, which played a decisive role in obtaining a visa? One "thank you" is not enough - the letter begins with an appeal to the client or company representative, then comes the text of the letter with gratitude, hope for further fruitful work.

The basic rules of business correspondence in English will help you compose a Cover Letter. Such a document supplements the report, the product. It describes in detail what is in the package, what the client needs to do after receiving it. Cover Letters are short and concise.

A business letter is a document that follows a clear structure. Agree, we never write a greeting at the end of a letter, and a conclusion at the beginning, we do not start correspondence with a signature or a link. In most countries of the world, people use the same structure in business correspondence - this is what they are taught by online business English tutors. How to write a business letter in English without breaking the structure and keeping the right tone? Let's figure it out. nine0003

Heading is the upper part, in which two addresses are indicated - the sender and the recipient. The first is written at the top left, the second below the sender's address. The writing format is from smallest to largest. That is, first we indicate the first name, last name, then the house number with the street, city. If we are talking about correspondence by e-mail, the email address is entered at the top. Make sure that the address is correct, because if the address does not contain only one digit, the addressee will not receive the letter.

The letter begins with the subject line posted at the top. The subject should contain important details, but no more than 7 words. To focus the attention of the addressee, to distinguish him from a large number of other correspondence, you can write a word that attracts attention in the subject line. For example, Urgent (Urgent!), Please read this letter (Please read the letter). To emphasize importance, use High Importance.

Rules for business correspondence in English require correct address. When a letter is addressed to a woman, use Ms (Madam), or Mr when communicating with males. After the treatment, it is important to put a comma; in North America, a colon is preferable. nine0003

Let's find out how to write a business letter in English after greeting. Depending on the type of document, the introduction begins with words of gratitude. After the introduction, consisting of 1-2 sentences, you need to formulate the main idea. It is desirable to divide the text into several paragraphs for better perception of information.

English example	Translation
Thank you for your prompt response	Thanks for the quick reply
I am writing to you regarding…	I am writing to you about…
Following last month’s presentation, I have decided to write to you…	After last month's presentation, I decided to write to you...
With reference to your advertisement in Business Weekly Journal could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors. I would also like to know about discounts that you provide. nine0066	With reference to your business weekly ad, could you please send me a more detailed description of your monitors. I would also like to know about the discounts you provide.

In the final paragraph of the English Business Correspondence Rules, it is recommended to make a small reminder or focus on the fact that the request is urgent. Do not forget to thank the interlocutor for reading the letter and the attention paid, and indicate what actions you expect from the interlocutor. nine0003

If most of the Formal letter is already done, how to write the completion? As a rule, the cliché phrase Sincerely yours is used. If punctuation marks were used in the greeting, a comma is placed after the final cliché phrase. Otherwise, we just write Sincerely yours Mr Wayne.

If you are making a commercial offer to a client, the rules for writing a business letter in English recommend supplementing it with the so-called Enclosures. These are leaflets, booklets and other useful materials. Thanks to such elements, you will be able to visualize your proposal and “unload” the letter. nine0003

How do I complete a business letter in English and tell the client that it contains Enclosures? In the bottom left corner, write Enc, Encl, or the full word Enclosures.

Rules for business letters in English exclude the use of rude words and negativity, familiarity, lack of purpose of the letter. To avoid misunderstanding, stick to simple but important rules of communication. Recommendations apply not only to correspondence, but also to sending commercial offers. How to write letters so that the recipient understands you correctly? nine0003

Writing about everything and nothing is a common mistake. If the topic says "Beds to order", you do not need to talk about the benefits of buying a kitchen, wardrobe, offering soft toys, gardening services. Also, don't write long, confusing emails.

If you bypass the topic of how to start a business letter in English, do not address a potential partner by name, the client is unlikely to read the letter to the end. Moreover, he will not master even half, because from the very beginning the correspondence did not attract his attention. Say hello, thank you for your attention and immediately go to the main topic, without "water" and ambiguous phrases. nine0003

One of the taboos of any business correspondence is to start communication with rudeness and negativity. Otherwise, your client or partner will have an instant allergy to correspondence with you. And the person will stop opening any of your messages, even if he has incredible restraint.

Never start a letter with these expressions:

• Unfortunately - unfortunately
• I am afraid that – I am afraid that
• We regret to inform that - Unfortunately, we have to inform you that
• I am sorry to inform you that

The key difference between business and informal correspondence is strict writing standards. Playing with headings, formatting, using a non-standard font, you are unlikely to stand out from the others. The letter will not look original, but will indicate the frivolity of your intentions. nine0003

Remember how to write a business letter in English - you will immediately find a common language with partners. The use of the phrases Hey, bro, What's up, best regards is applicable only in informal correspondence. In business communication, they are unacceptable. Even if letters are addressed to Mr Morgan in the UK every week, this does not make him your close friend.

The purpose of the letter should be consistent with its content. From the first seconds of reading, the client should clearly understand what will be discussed. Specifying a goal saves time, allows you to evaluate the content and make the right decision. nine0003

Respect the time, don't waste water, and get straight to the point. Always end the correspondence with some kind of request and gratitude for the time spent, the purchase. So you increase the loyalty of the addressee, emphasize your exclusive relationship.

The same concept is expressed in different words. When communicating with a friend, you can say “give”, in business correspondence - already “supply”. Instead of doing - produce, develop. What business vocabulary is recommended to use the rules of business writing in English? nine0003

It's very easy to spoil the first impression of yourself and your company - just write sentences with errors. It would seem that these are trifles, but it is thanks to them that a general opinion is formed about the employees and the seriousness of the intentions of your organization.

How to format a response to a letter so that the client receives maximum useful information, reads the text to the end and performs certain actions? When answering a letter, business etiquette and business correspondence in English always come first. Make it clear that you are competent, well versed in this issue and are ready to give a detailed answer. What should be written first? nine0003

It is important to tell the client right away what position you hold in the company. Introduce yourself, write your first and last name. Tell us about the range of your duties, convince the interlocutor of competence in solving an important issue.

Specify the purpose for which you are writing a response letter. As a rule, this is the answer to all questions that interest the sender. The client must be sure that you have the necessary information and are able to conduct such negotiations. nine0003

The next step in the response letter is to answer all the questions posed by the client or business partner. It is important to do this with proper transliteration, without unnecessary abbreviations and slang words like lol, imho, etc. If in doubt about some points, tell the interlocutor that you are forwarding his question to a competent employee. In the near future, a specialist from your company will contact him. nine0003

Below we will consider specific examples of letters written in English. Use these templates and useful expressions from the article when writing a competent, useful, persuasive text. They will be a good help on how to write a business letter in English, a sample can be taken as a basis for compiling almost any option.

Business and conversational English are very different. In the modern world, it is customary to learn spoken English, while business vocabulary is underestimated and even forgotten about its importance. Meanwhile, it is business correspondence with foreign partners that plays a decisive role in employment.

Our online English tutors set themselves the difficult but very real task of teaching you the basic rules of business correspondence in English. Instead of tedious cramming and homework, you get a clear learning plan with specific examples and a personal teacher. Thanks to this approach, you will have a clear idea of ​​how to write a formal letter in English, where to start business correspondence, how to end it so that the client has a desire to cooperate with you. nine0003

From time to time we have to write formal letters. The more actively you use English in everyday life, the more often you have to do it in a foreign language. Now you are aware of what styles exist, what their structure is, and how such documents should be formatted.

You have in your hands visual examples and secrets, helping to compose the perfect business letter. Put them into practice if you need to send an important message at USA, business tone , or send your resume to a European employer. We are sure you will succeed!

Learn how to make the most of your business phone conversation! Call global corporations, reach decision makers, find new suppliers - all this becomes possible thanks to our training materials.

Email etiquette or email writing rules

Today it is quite difficult to find a company that has not used the achievements of scientific and technological progress in its practice of interpersonal communications: e-mail, ICQ, fax, mobile communications. And if, to a greater extent, we have an idea about the rules of business correspondence, a telephone conversation, then few people have an idea about how to behave on the Internet. But here, too, there are certain rules of etiquette, which are regulated by the Netiquette ( Netiquette ).

The main rule of "Setiquet" is the same as in any other etiquette: behave in a way that is easy to understand, do not create problems for others and do not interfere with normal dialogue, even if it is conducted via e-mail. Always behave in a way that does not offend the person you are chatting with on the Internet.

In his article "50 Practical Rules of Business Netiquette (Netiquette)" Chuck Martin, President of the American consulting company "The Digital Estate Group", writes: networks. Compliance with these rules is especially important because of the electronic nature of the environment, it is impossible to separate the position of the business and the client. The "Business Network Rules" emerged as a guide for establishing and maintaining healthy and happy relationships between a business and its customers." nine0003

In this section, we will not consider the rules of conduct on forums, blogs and chats, but only tell you how to conduct business correspondence via e-mail to make communication with partners, colleagues and friends more convenient and efficient.

Communication style.

When communicating via e-mail, you can omit appeals and greetings and get straight to the point. But, if you want your e-mail to be more official, the author recommends using the following address formula: “Good afternoon, dear (dear) + first name and middle name of the address.” And only after that you should proceed to the purpose of your appeal. nine0003

With all the informality of communication, it is necessary to remember and follow one of the most important rules when composing emails - - adherence to the principles of literacy and logic. Just because email is a fast way to communicate doesn't mean it has to be sloppy. Be sure to start your sentence with a capital letter and put full stops. Names and titles must begin with capital letters. Text written in all lowercase without periods or other punctuation marks is difficult to read. The text, written in capital letters alone, is generally perceived when reading as a CONTINUOUS SCREAM. nine0003

You must use spaces (blank lines) or ellipses to separate one thought from another, as they usually play the role of a paragraph in an email.

Designing an e-mail.

Many companies have a unified corporate standard for e-mail formatting, which includes the structure of the e-mail itself, the rules for contacting the client, signature details (name, position, work phones, e-mail address and a link to the company's website). In addition, this standard may prohibit the use of emoticons that are not related to the business sphere. nine0003

In general, the structure of a business e-mail can be represented as follows:

1. Header in corporate style.

2. Greeting

3. Content, purpose of the appeal

4. Farewell

5. Personal signature with contacts.

6. Link to the company's website.

7. Logo if needed.

When issuing an e-mail, the fields must be filled in without fail:

1. "Subject".
2. "To"
3. "Importance of the letter", if necessary.

When sending electronic messages, the e-mail address of the recipient is entered in the "To" field. Sometimes there is a need to send a letter with one text to several recipients, then their addresses can be entered separated by commas. Be sure to fill in the "Subject" field, otherwise your letter may be deleted as spam. Here you should enter a few words that characterize the subject of the message.

Some email programs allow you to specify how important the message is. This is simply necessary if the addressee receives a large number of letters daily. Messages marked as "Important" receive priority when checking mail. But this feature should not be abused. Important will gradually lose this quality.

Email size .

Netiquette rules define the size precisely: an e-mail must be half as long as written on paper. If you need to send important information containing a large amount, then it is better to write a short accompanying text in an email, and arrange the information itself as an attachment. nine0003

When preparing to send a large attachment exceeding 200-500 kilobytes, be sure to warn your respondent about this. It's best not to send large attachments in emails. There are many other ways to send large texts, photos or sound without email. For example, through ftp servers or through the web interface.

Address book .

In traditional correspondence, one had to either keep envelopes with addresses or write them down. Remembering the email addresses of all your friends and partners is also not possible, and it is not necessary. To do this, any mail program has the "Address Book" function, in which you can store the e - mail of your correspondents and other contact information. When using this function, it is much easier to send an e-mail "paper", just highlight the desired name in the address book and click the "send mail" button. nine0003

When an email arrives from a respondent listed in your Address Book, you will always know from whom exactly you received the email, as the recorded contact will be reflected in the "From" field.

Reply to email .