1. Sand Paper Letters
An Introduction to the presentation
of Sand Paper Letters

2. About this topic…
Specific Learning Outcomes
Students will:
• Be introduced to the main
principles in the development
of literacy
• Be introduced to the
presentation of Sand Paper
Letters
• Apply the three period lesson
to the presentation of materials
Prerequisites
• MPLS Unit 5 – Montessori
Materials Part II
• Three Period Lesson
• Introduction to Literacy

3. Introduction
Sand Paper Letters

4. Learning to write
Traditionally children were taught how to write by
continuously practicing the formation of letters
using a pencil and lined paper.
Not only did this approach prove tiresome for
young children, it was also unnecessary.
Despite some enduring assumption, the mastering
of writing is not a task requiring huge effort on the
part of the child, nor does its introduction need to
wait until a child is able to hold a pencil

5. Learning to write
Montessori’s sand paper letters are based on the
observation that small children can absorb an
understanding of letter formation with a
multisensory approach with great ease and
pleasure.
Used in combination with the metal inserts – which
prepare the hand for the ability to write – sand
paper letters prepare the child’s mind for writing.
That is, through touch, the activity serves to
establish a motor memory along with a visual
memory of the letters."

6. Learning to write
"Now the hand can be prepared directly to trace the signs
of the alphabet by the help of the tactile and muscular
senses, not by that of sight. We
have, therefore, prepared for our children letters cut out
in sandpaper, and pasted on smooth cardboard. They
reproduce in dimension and shape the letters of the
movable alphabet.
We teach the children to trace them in the same way as
is followed in writing. This is a very simple procedure
which leads to marvellous results. Thus the children
stamp, so to speak, the shape of the letters on their
hands.
When they begin to write, spontaneously their
penmanship is well nigh perfect and all children write in

7. Learning to write
The sand paper letters activity integrates the hand, the
mind and muscular memory.
"When a teacher has a child see and touch the letters of
the alphabet, three sensations come into play
simultaneously: sight, touch, and kinaesthetic (muscular)
sensation. This is why the image of the graphic symbol is
fixed in the mind much more quickly than when it is
acquired through sight in the ordinary methods.”
Dr. Maria Montessori, 'The Discovery of the Child',

8. Sounds to Symbols
In the Montessori approach, the sounds of the letters
are taught before the child is introduced to the names
of the letters.
This allows the child to link sounds to symbols.
The names of the letters are taught later.
Since some letters can represent more than one
sound, the other sounds which are less frequently
used than the phonetic sound are also taught later.

9. “S” is for Sounds
Letter sounds can be recognized in all parts of a word
It is a mistake to think that it is easier for children to
listen to or identify just the beginning letter of a word.
Children are led to hear how the sounds they are
learning occur in different parts of words. With this
practice they soon begin to realize the sequence of
sounds in words.

10. Presentation
Sand Paper Letters

12. What comes before?
Before the sand paper letters are presented, the child
should have experience with:
• the first level of the sound game
• rough and Smooth Board Number 2.
While working with the sand paper letters, the child
can also be working with the sound game and
moveable alphabet.

13. Materials
To complete this presentation, you will need box
containing the letters of the alphabet, lower case and
cursive.
• The letter should be made of sandpaper cut out
and mounted on thick cards or wood;
• Consonants should be on a pink background,
• Vowels should be on a blue background

14. 1. Invite the child
2. Sensitise the pads of finger tips.
3. Choose three letters and give to the child to
carry to the table.
• Choose letters that they are very different in
form and in sound.
• If possible include the letter the child's name
starts with (if name is Shannon wouldn't
select "s".)
• Ensure one of the letters is a vowel.
4. Place the letters on the right edge of table

15. 5. Turn over one of the letters and place in front of
the child
6. Trace the sound using two fingers and then say
the sound "c". Repeat multiple times
7. Say some words that have the sound at the
beginning and invite the child to volunteer some
others.

16. Hold the card with the left hand and trace with the
right.
Use two fingers.

17. 8. Invite the child to trace it and say the sound
• If the child makes an error when tracing the
letter, model the correct pattern again.
9. When the child has finished, turn the letter over
and place on right edge

18. 10. Repeat with remaining two letters

19. 12. Three period lesson
1. This is…
2. Point to, Show me, Trace, Hand
me, Touch…
3. What is this?

20. 13. Return all letter to the right edge. Invite the
child to continue tracing and naming the letters
14. Fade and Observe - continue to watch to
ensure that the child is tracing correctly

21. Record Keeping
• Create an individual note card for each child.
• List each of the sandpaper letters and each
numeral for 0 - 9
• When you present a letter underline the letter
on the card
• Over time, when the child knows the sound turn
the line into a circle
• If you invite a child to present a new
series, review this card and make sure that all
the letters she knows comes to the table

22. What comes next?
• Tracing the Letters
• The Connection Lesson
• Group game
• Blindfolded tracing
• Letter boards