How does a letter find its way to your home? Its envelope carries your address. Here is a made-up one:
12 Maple Street
Maple Town, Ohio 54321
Key idea
An address tells exactly where a home is: the house number, the street, the town or city, the state and the ZIP code.
Why it works
Each part narrows the search. The state picks one part of the country. The town picks one place in that state. The street picks one road in the town. The house number picks one home on that street. The ZIP code is a number that helps the mail carriers sort letters quickly.
Worked example: Reading the address
In the address above, which part is the street?
- The first line has a number and a street name.
- The number, 12, is the house number.
- The words after it are the street.
Answer: Maple Street.
Common mistake
Children often say only their street or only their town. That is not enough: many towns have a Maple Street, and many states have a town with the same name. All the parts together point to one home.
For the grown-up. Help your child learn your own address. Practice saying it in order, and write it on an envelope together. (Teach it as something to share with trusted grown-ups.)