A mail carrier is a community helper who brings letters, cards, and packages to homes, schools, and businesses. Mail helps people share news, birthday wishes, bills, and important papers. Learning about mail helps children understand addresses, maps, and how people work together in a neighborhood.
A letter can travel a long way before it reaches the right mailbox.
Key Facts
- A mail carrier delivers letters and packages to the correct address.
- An address tells where the mail should go, including a name, street, city, state, and ZIP code.
- A stamp shows that postage has been paid for a letter or card.
- Mail often travels in this order: sender, mailbox or post office, sorting center, mail truck, mail carrier, receiver.
- Packages are usually bigger than letters and may need extra postage.
- Mail carriers use bags, trucks, maps, and mailboxes to help deliver mail safely.
Vocabulary
- Mail carrier
- A mail carrier is a worker who delivers letters and packages to people.
- Letter
- A letter is a written message placed in an envelope and sent through the mail.
- Package
- A package is a box or parcel that is mailed to someone.
- Stamp
- A stamp is a small sticker on mail that shows the sender paid to send it.
- Address
- An address is the information that tells where a person or place is located.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting the address is a mistake because the mail carrier needs it to know where the letter or package should go.
- Putting the stamp in the wrong place is a mistake because stamps usually belong on the upper right corner of an envelope.
- Thinking all mail goes straight to a house is a mistake because mail is often sorted at a post office or sorting center first.
- Mixing up the sender and receiver is a mistake because the receiver is the person getting the mail and the sender is the person mailing it.
Practice Questions
- 1 Mia has 3 letters and 2 packages to mail. How many total pieces of mail does she have?
- 2 A mail carrier delivers 5 letters to one house and 4 letters to the next house. How many letters does the mail carrier deliver in all?
- 3 A letter has no street address, but it has a stamp. Explain why the mail carrier may not be able to deliver it.