Sandpaper numbers are wooden tablets with, you guessed it, numbers made out of sandpaper pasted on them. They are used to teach the child the symbols of numbers 0-9 after they can count to 20, build the number rod stairs and can tell you the majority of what each number rod represents. The child is normally given three at a time starting with one or two he/she may already know. They watch you trace and say one number at a time and then they do it. You give a three period lesson on those three and then you either stop and wait for another day to introduce more, or you can try to introduce one or two more to the mix. Just depends on the child.
Simple enough. The concept is that by feeling and saying and seeing the numbers the child is using most of his senses to learn and will retain the information more readily.
If you were to look up sandpaper numbers on Pinterest or bing it ( my preferred search engine) you would find a good bit of information on where to buy these, how to make these the traditional way and how to make these out of a type of fabric like felt. So, why do I feel the need to write yet another post on this topic to add to the plethora of information?
Two reasons:
1. I assume that my readers are not familiar with the sandpaper numbers and what they are use for or even how to use them.
2. Out of all the articles I've read not one of them mentioned or advised that it might be more cost effective just to buy them. From making them myself, I can tell you I probably spent more time and money making these than I would have if I had just purchased them online and waited for them to arrive in their own pretty little wooden box.
For example my supply list looked something like this:
Sheets of 80 grit sandpaper (fyi use a 120, 80 is too rough) from Lowes--around $6.00
Two wooden boards from hobby lobby-- $ 6.99 each
One can of green spray paint from Walmart--around $2.00
Small can of high gloss polyurethane from Lowes--around $7.00
Four foam brushes from Walmart--&0.69 each
That's a total of $31.74.
At Allison's Montessori online (http://www.alisonsmontessori.com/Sandpaper_Numbers_p/m02.htm) you can get the same tablets for $16.50 with their wooden box.
At Amazon online (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002DG50FY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1370262473&sr=8-1&pi=SL75) for $15.13 without the box.
As you can see making these myself was not very economical. These are what mine look like now:
Good blog post from Living Montessori Now with several links and ideas and variation of the DIY versions.
Good free template of numbers you can use to print and cut out from JMJ Publishing.
Good, detailed, instructional blog post on how to make a very traditional looking sandpaper numbers.
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