What are Montessori Sandpaper Letters?

If you've heard of Montessori then you are likely to have heard or seen Montessori Sandpaper letters before as they are a classic Montessori material used to teach children letters! But what exactly are they? 

Montessori sandpaper letters are a tactile learning tool used in Montessori education to teach children the shapes and sounds of letters.

Each letter is typically crafted from sandpaper, providing a sensory experience as children trace their fingers along the textured surface.

This hands-on approach helps reinforce letter recognition and encourages the development of fine motor skills.

For instance, when a child first learns a letter they will be encouraged to trace the letter by running their fingers over the sandpaper letter "a" while simultaneously saying the corresponding sound, fostering a multi-sensory connection between the visual, tactile, and auditory aspects of language learning. Sandpaper letters are also teaching letter formation which is an important pre-writing skill.

In a Montessori lesson utilizing sandpaper letters, the teacher introduces the child to a specific letter, such as "b."

The teacher shows the sandpaper letter and first tells the child what the letter sound is.

Then the teacher and student throughtfully think of words that begin with that letter sound. Next the teacher demonstrates how to correctly trace the sandpaper letter with their fingers, emphasizing the tactile experience. Subsequently, the child is encouraged to replicate the tracing motion independently. This process not only enhances fine motor skills but also reinforces the visual and auditory aspects of letter learning.

The teacher then continues to introduce 2 more letters and teach with a 3 Period Lesson

Through repeated exploration of various sandpaper letters, children gradually build a solid foundation in letter recognition and phonetic awareness, promoting a hands-on and multisensory approach to language acquisition in the Montessori method.

Don't be fooled by companies labeling toys and materials as Montessori! There are tons of mislabeled products so be sure you buy authentic sandpaper letter that are:

-Lowercase

-Consonants are red/pink and vowels are blue (vowels are a, e, i, o, u)

-The letter size is the correct scale. For example when we write the letter "h" and "n" they are not the same size on the paper, the "h" is taller. Sandpaper letters should reflect that. So if the letters are all the same size, it is not authentic. 

-Letters should be made of sandpaper or a textile material. 

I personally use a set from amazon that I love and fits all the criteria, you can find them Here

To learn more about how to use sandpaper letters to teach your child check out my FREE Montessori Reading Masterclass where I teach parents step by step how to teach their child to read!

Watch the FREE Masterclass Watch Now

To learn more Montessori Homeschooling tips, Make sure to follow my on Instagram! @Montessori_by_june