Once upon a time, not so long ago, writing and receiving letters was common. I remember when I was in school, my best friend moved out of state. We could only talk on the phone once in a while—long-distance calls were expensive back then—so we did the next best thing… we wrote letters! I can still recall the thrill of going to the mailbox and finding a letter addressed to me, and I know she felt the same excitement. We were able to stay in touch even though we lived very far apart, and we are still friends to this day.

Nowadays we have so many other ways to keep in touch, so letters are much rarer. But I think that makes them even more special.

When you really think about it, we learned so much about our history from letters. From presidents to kings to everyday people, these letters showed us what life was like in distant times. History books are full of facts we might never have known if they were not written in a letter.

There are all sorts of letters you can write. You might write a letter to thank someone for a gift or for doing something special for you. When you go on vacation, you could send a postcard to share your adventure with someone back home. You can also write a friendly letter to keep in touch with friends and family.

Writing a simple, friendly letter is pretty easy, but there are a few parts you need. Check out the picture below to see these different parts of a letter. And watch the video too!

You can also add drawings and pictures whatever you want to share. I hope you enjoy my video lesson on writing a letter, and I hope it inspires you to write a letter of your own!

A handwritten instructional page titled "Letter Writing 101" describing letter format, with a pen and a postcard partially visible on a wooden table.

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

Check out some of these great books below about letters. Click on the book cover or title to find it in the library catalog and place a hold.

A cartoon dog writes a letter at a desk with a bone in its mouth. The book cover reads "Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School" by Mark Teague.

“Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School” by Mark Teague

A woman paints a portrait of George Washington as he sits surrounded by smiling children and a dog. The book cover reads "Dear Mr. Washington" by Lynn Cullen, pictures by Nancy Carpenter.

“Dear Mr. Washington” by Lynn Cullen

A cartoon ox lies on grass writing a letter, imagining an antelope inside a heart shape. The text reads, "XO, Ox: A Love Story" by Adam Rex and Scott Campbell.

“XO, OX: A Love Story” by Adam Rex

Book cover of "Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin" by Duncan Tonatiuh, showing two boys writing letters, sitting back-to-back, with a city and sun in the background.

“Dear Primo: A Letter To My Cousin” by Duncan Tonatiuh

Book cover of "Sincerely, Katie: Writing a Letter with Katie Woo," showing an illustrated girl with glasses holding a pencil and paper, with a pink background.

“Sincerely, Katie: Writing a Letter With Katie Woo” by Fran Manushkin

A bear in green overalls sits on a chair, holding a pencil and writing a letter on a long sheet of paper. The book cover reads “Corduroy Writes a Letter.”.

“Corduroy Writes a Letter” by Alison Inches

Written by and posted on behalf of Chris Z, Children’s Services Specialist