Letter Tracing: How Montessori Builds Handwriting Skills

Why Letter Tracing Matters for Preschoolers

Before children can write letters, they need to feel them. That’s the genius behind Montessori sandpaper letters—a hands-on approach to letter formation that engages multiple senses simultaneously.

When a child traces a sandpaper letter with their fingers, three things happen at once:

1. Touch — The textured surface creates muscle memory for letter formation
2. Sound — The teacher says the letter sound as the child traces
3. Sight — The child sees the letter shape while experiencing it physically

This multi-sensory approach creates stronger neural pathways than simply looking at letters on a worksheet. The child’s brain connects the physical movement, the sound, and the visual shape into one integrated memory.

Key Takeaways

The Montessori Approach to Handwriting

Traditional preschools often rush children to hold pencils and write on lined paper before they’re developmentally ready. This can lead to frustration, awkward pencil grips, and negative associations with writing.

The Montessori progression is different:

By the time children reach pencil and paper, they’ve already internalized letter shapes through hundreds of repetitions. Writing feels natural, not forced.

Try This at Home

You don’t need fancy materials to support letter tracing at home:

• Salt tray — Pour salt in a shallow pan, let your child trace letters with their finger
• Shaving cream — Spread on a table for mess-friendly letter practice
• Sand — A small tray of sand works just like our classroom materials
• Back tracing — Trace letters on your child’s back and have them guess
• Air writing — Use big arm movements to “write” letters in the air together

The key is making it sensory and playful—not drilling worksheets.

Related Videos

Explore more from our Montessori classroom:

• Exploration and Experimentation in the Classroom
• Don’t Pause Your Child’s Learning
• Not All Classrooms Have Four Walls

Subscribe to our YouTube channel →

See Letter Tracing in Action

Want to see how our Curiosity Studios support early literacy development? Schedule a tour at any of our four San Antonio and Boerne campuses.

Related Resources

• Our Preschool Program
• Kindergarten Readiness Guide
• Our edScription Curriculum
• What Is Inquiry-Based Learning?
• Benefits of Montessori Education

Programs · Tuition · Locations · Contact