The Sandpaper Letters

A child is introduced to the Sandpaper Letters early in the Montessori curriculum. All 26 letters of the alphabet are cut out of sandpaper and mounted on wood. The consonants are mounted on pink wood and the vowels on blue wood.

The child is shown how to trace the letter using their index and middle fingers along the sandpaper and is encouraged to make the relevant phonetic sound for that letter. After reinforcement the child is able to unite these sounds by means of muscular and visual memory to the appropriate symbol. Children are very excited to learn the letters as it starts them on their reading journey.