Sandpaper Letters

From Montessori Album
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Sandpaper Letters
Language - Writing
Sandpaper Letters 3.JPG
LevelPrimary
Age2.5
Prerequisitesauditory discrimination
I Spy
Rough and Smooth Boards
Materials3 Sandpaper Letters

This activity introduces the child to letters.

Presentation

  1. Take three sandpaper letters to a mat or table. Place them in a stack face-down in the upper right corner.
    Sandpaper Letters 1.JPG
  2. Flip over the first letter and trace it with your index and middle fingers. Follow the same path that you would use while writing the letter.
    Say the sound of the letter (not the letter name) as you trace it.
    Sandpaper Letters 2.JPG
  3. Give the student a turn to trace the letter. Have them say the sound as they trace it.
  4. Move the first letter out of the way to the upper left corner of the work space.
    Repeat the procedure with the other two letters.
    Sandpaper Letters 3.JPG
    Sandpaper Letters 4.JPG
  5. Set out all three letters and do a Three Period Lesson.
    Be sure to have the student trace and say the letters sounds often throughout the lesson.
    Sandpaper Letters 5.JPG

Points of Interest

Control of Error

Variations and Extensions

Material

The original material designed by Maria Montessori for this lesson was a set of letters that were routed grooves in small boards. Cut-out sandpaper letters glued to boards were used instead later because these were cheaper and easier to make. I'm not sure why we don't use routed letters instead now that technology has advanced. The routed letter version is clearly superior.

Make Your Own

  • These boards were made from pieces of masonite. The letters were first printed on regular paper, then cut out, traced on sandpaper, and cut out again.
    Maybe Mntsr sandpaper letters.jpg
    (For a detailed description of how this was done, see Maybe Montessori.)

Where to Buy

Prices and links checked: 23 January 2022

Print
Store Price
Adena $39.82
Alison's $98.00
Alison's $40.68
Bruins $120.00
E & O $56.70
Hello Wood $125.00
IFIT $46.00
Kid Advance $36.99
Material Company of Boston $78.00
Montessori Concepts $55.00
Montessori Outlet $36.95
Nienhuis $100.50
Thinkamajigs $49.95
Bruins
lower
$109.00
IFIT
lower & capital
$36.00
IFIT
lower
$38.00
Kid Advance
lower
$30.99
Kid Advance
capital
$37.99
Montessori Concepts
lower & captial
$45.00
Montessori Concepts
lower
$46.00
Montessori Outlet
capital
$45.95
Cursive
Store Price
Adena $39.82
Affordable Montessori $49.00
Alison's $46.30
Alison's $110.00
Bruins $125.00
E & O $62.10
Hello Wood $141.00
IFIT $46.00
Kid Advance $31.99
Material Company of Boston $85.00
Montessori Concepts $56.00
Montessori Outlet $39.95
Nienhuis $100.50
Thinkamajigs $46.95
Bruins
lower
$100.00
Bruins
lower, D'Nealian
$120.00
IFIT
lower
$38.00
Kid Advance
capital
$37.99
Kid Advance
lower & captial
$30.99
Montessori Outlet
capital
$46.95
Semi-Cursive
Store Price
Alison's
D'Nealian
$39.90
Alison's
D'Nealian
$110.00
Alison's
Sassoon
$89.77
Hello Wood $141.00
Hello Wood
script
$129.00
Material Company of Boston
D'Nealian
$88.00
Other Alphabets
Store Price
Alison's
Arabic
$44.10
Alison's
Hebrew
$44.10
Bruins
Spanish - print
$93.00
Bruins
Spanish - cursive
$93.00
Material Company of Boston
Spanish - print
$95.00
Kid Advance
Chinese
$23.99
Kid Advance
Chinese
$23.99
Kid Advance
Chinese
$23.99
Montessori Outlet
Spanish print lower
$42.95
Nienhuis
Spanish - print
$18.90
Sandpaper Letters on Cardstock
Store Price
Resources for Reading
capital
$25.95
Box
Store Price
Kid Advance $14.99

Further Reading