How I use Montessori sandpaper letters

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The next installment in my 101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet Series is a long overdue post about one of the most basic, but also effective, tools I like to use for teaching my kids how to form their letters: Montessori sandpaper letters!

When I was first starting to educate my kids at home, I was very inspired by the Montessori way of doing education. I learned early on about the use of sandpaper letters in the language area of the Montessori classroom, and I decided to invest in a set of uppercase and lowercase sandpaper letter cards.

Sandpaper letters have been a staple tool in Montessori education for a very long time, in part because of the wonderful sensory experience they provide to kids who are learning to form their letters.

Click here if you want more information about teaching the alphabet in a fun, hands-on, and multi-sensory way.

So what are sandpaper letters? Quite simply, they are cards generally made from thick cardstock or thin wood with a letter embossed on them using sandpaper. They allow a child to quite literally feel the letter as they run their fingers over the card.

When my daughter is learning a new letter, I pull out the appropriate sandpaper letter and I work with her to trace the letter with her finger. I make sure she traces the letter the same way she would write it.

I generally have her trace the letter several times. And after tracing the sandpaper letter, I often have her practice writing the letter in another way (see all my posts from the 101 Ways to Teach the Alphabet series for more ideas.)