The Montessori philosophy of education is, in my opinion, really brilliant. Although we are starting to move away from Montessori a bit as my kids get older, I have been very inspired by and impressed with many of the ideas that have come out of Montessori education.
One of those ideas is pin punching. Pin punching involves using a push pin to trace or outline an illustration printed on paper. It is a fantastic way to develop kids’ fine motor skills and to get them really focused on the shape of whatever object they are pin punching. For example, pin punching is used to help kids learn shapes, letters, numbers, and the continents, among other things.
The next installment in my 101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet Series is a Montessori-inspired letter pin punching activity. I have created a set of printable letter pin punching pages you can download to help your kids learn the alphabet while also developing fine motor control.
For pin punching activities, we use a wood handled pin puncher from Montessori Services paired with a high quality, thick felt mat, also from Montessori Services. I placed the pin puncher and mat on a tray along with several pages from my Letter Pin Punching Pages printable (see below to download your copy).
XGirl used the wood handled pin puncher to punch a hole in each of the tiny circles that make up the letter. You’ll notice that the wood handled pin puncher requires children to practice the same grip they use for holding a pencil, so this activity not only teaches kids their letters but prepares them for writing later on.
I encourage my kids to punch the holes in the same direction that they would write the letter. It takes a lot of concentration and control to do this activity successfully, but that is part of what makes it so valuable for kids.
The download is one file that includes both lowercase and uppercase letter pin punching pages. Get a sneak peak below:
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More ways to teach to the alphabet
More alphabet printables from Gift of Curiosity:
- Road Letters
- Letter Puzzles
- Beginning Sounds Alphabet Clip Cards
- Letter Slap game
- Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching Clip Cards
- Alphabet Lacing Cards
- Dot Sticker Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching
- Q-Tip Painted Letter Pages
You can find more ways to teach the alphabet on my Literacy Activities for Kids page and my Letter Learning Pinterest board.
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Learning Letters on Pinterest.
This is wonderful. Thank you so much! Since I didn’t have one of those wooden handled punchers, I substituted a large, chunky topped pushpin (aka thumbtack) and we overturned a corrugated cardboard box to push into. Such fun!
Thank you so much!
I will use this printables to teach a down sindrom kid in my classroom
I hope your student enjoys!