The Montessori sandpaper letters are an important tool for introducing the sound each letter makes while training the hand how to form the letter. They are usually presented in sets of about 4 letters, all of which have distinct shapes and sounds. But how quickly do you move through them?
In my training, we were taught that you don’t move on to the next set until the preceding set has been mastered. With some kids, that can be very quick. With others, it can mean a few weeks on each set. My oldest child sped through them all as fast as she could, while my youngest took much longer. With an older child it might go much quicker, but if you’re starting at 3/4, it will likely be longer.
Once you think your child has mastered a set, I like to combine all of the letters you’ve introduced so far so she can continue practicing with those. You can do it as a little assessment to make sure she’s ready for more — lay out the 8 sandpaper letters she’s mastered by that time along with all the objects, and make sure she can match them. If there’s only 1 or 2 that she doesn’t quite get, keep that one in your next basket.
Remember that there is no need for speed! Mastery is much more important than getting through them all quickly — because what’s the point if she can’t actually remember them?
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