Montessori Sand paper letters extensions with beads

Montessori Sand paper letters extensions with beads offers five creative activities that may help your child in his early reading.

What are Sand paper letters:

Individual letters from the alphabet cut out from the finest sand paper are mounted on a strong background, like on a thick card board, wood or plastic.It can be made at home too. Just make sure to use the finest sand paper.

Why will you use it

1.80% of the time, letters use phonetic sounds. So a child who can use this knowledge is ahead of the one who is only learning through the visual discrimination way ( the look, say approach.)

2. The teaching of sound and letter takes a multi sensory approach here.

The child hears the sound, sees the representation in the form of a letter and touches it. This multi-sensory approach gives the child an added dimension to retain what he has learned.

3.Dr. Montessori was delighted to discover that children were much eager to learn when letters were introduced that involved touching.

How will you do it:

Select three sand paper letters ( say, "g","o" and "t")

Present one of the letters first, demonstrate tracing it lightly with two fingers and say the sound at the same time. “guh” not “jee.”

Let the child take a turn in tracing, and sounding.

Introduce the other two letters in similar ways.

Play a “what’s missing” game (cover your eyes or close your eyes , the child hides the letter behind him, you have to say what's missing. And then it is the child's turn to cover his eyes and you hide.) In this playful way you will get the idea if the child got the sounds of the letters or not. See if the child is confident with all those letters. If not, just record it, demonstrate again later in near future.

Who should you give it to:

Child 4 years old and above.

1.The north American Montessori Center makes some good suggestion about giving the child a tray or dish with some corn meal and let him practice tracing the recently learned letter on it.

2.I have given my children some pudding in a dish and had a fun time tracing the recently learned letters and licking them too. I don’t know if strict Montessorians will approve it or not, but it was very much loved by the children. And I thought it involved another important sense- that is tasting.

3.Provide objects that have the beginning sounds that correspond with the letters learned. For example I might give a bead for ‘b’, a string for “s”, tooth brush for “t”.

Keep an assortment of objects and let children classify and organize.

Vary them with ending sounds or play a game to find words that just have those sounds.

Provide a card (4”x6”),

Some colored home made glue in a bowl. (Mix flour with water and food color, warm it up in the stove. Let it cool. Use as glue).

A bowlful of seed beads with a tiny spoon.

Keep a wet sponge.

Keep them all in a tray.

Pick up a bit of glue on your forefinger and trace the recently learned letter on the card. Wipe your finger in the wet sponge. Pour a spoonful of seed beads on the traced glue area. Dust off excess seed beads on the seed bead bowl. You'll be able to see the letter now.

Let the child take a turn. Let it dry overnight.

5.Use Modeling clay to make the letters learned. Make a hole (with a tooth pick or knitting needle) Let it air dry. Lace the letter beads into a necklace using yarn.

I use this as a quiet time garland that one can use when one wants to have some quiet time, during resting period or just want to enjoy silence and peace.

I talk to children about rosary bead garlands or japa malas. People in many cultures use them for quiet time, to meditate, think about good will and peaceful thoughts. And it is possible to incorporate that in your environment too.

Here I must share something that I have recently discovered from an etsy vendor. She makes hand crafted Sand paper letters. Some of them are three dimensional but bigger than the move able alphabets. I think it gives an added dimension of feeling to the child. I have no affiliate relationship with her. But if you care for hand made Sand paper letters you may want to check out her store a pollywog77 etsy shop

Recently I came across a book -Montessori Parents Guide, which is worth a try. The author is writing from personal experience and demonstrates knowledge about Montessori education. She talks about what to look for in a school, how to find the best environment for your unique child, how to implement Montessori education into the home environment etc etc. If you want to check it out pleaseClick Here!