10 special touch plates with glued numbers made of felt. Children learn numbers especially by following and feeling the digits. Next to the respective number, there is still space to put on chips for counting, for example.

The child follows the number and can correct it immediately when leaving the rough felt surface. The child says the number loudly and clearly, e.g. one. Once the child has learned some numbers, they can be put on the table and asked to find a specific number.

Application, advantages, areas of application for this Montessori material:

• • Practice the numbers 0-9

• • Feeling the numeric typeface

• • Learning the sequence of numbers

• • Practice the correct spelling of the numbers

• • Montessori material for children from 3 years

• • Feeling games on the topic of numbers

Scope of the Montessori material:
1 storage box, wood, approx. 16 x 9.5 x 8 cm,
10 plates with the numbers 0 - 9, wood with feeler felt, approx. 14 x 9 cm,
figure height for comparison 8 approx. 6.8 cm

Instructions for the sandpaper digits, feeler digits

The 3-step lesson is used to present new learning materials to the child. For the introduction, the material is limited, ie only a few (2-3) very different digits (e.g. not 6 and 9 or 1 and 7) are selected and only worked with these at first. This limitation helps the child to absorb and reproduce the knowledge better.
Later the exercise can be carried out with all number boards.

An adult takes three number boards, e.g. 1, 2, 4 and puts them down in front of him.

1st level: show and name (vocabulary formation):
the adult traces the first number in the direction of writing with his index finger and names it.
Now the number board is handed over to the child, who also follows the number and names it.
The adult takes the next number board and proceeds as with the previous one.
This is also handed over to the child afterwards. Likewise with the last number board.

2nd level: recognize (passive use of vocabulary):
the adult specifies the terms, the child points to the correct number.
Where is the 1 - please show me the 4 - please give me the 2

3rd level: identify (active vocabulary use):
the adult points to a number and asks for your name, and the child answers. What number is that? - What is this number called? - What do you call this number?

If the child makes mistakes at level 2 or 3, ie shows the wrong numbers or names them incorrectly, they simply switch back to the previous level without any particular indication of the mistakes made.

However, it is advisable to observe and assess the child carefully so as not to overwhelm it:

If too many sandpaper numbers were chosen (3 tablets were used for the presentation) it may be necessary to reduce the number to only 2 in order to complete the exercise for the to ease child.

Does it make sense to postpone the performance to a later date? The child may simply not be able to concentrate well on this day, or they may not (yet) be interested in this material.

Variations:
The continuous row of numbers is placed.
Then some digits are removed and put back in the right place by the child.

A sheet of paper is placed over a number board and the number is hatched through with colored pencil.

If there is a sand tub, the digits can be written in the sand.

The number tablets are in one room, pen and paper (or the sand tub) in another. The child first traces one digit of the sandpaper digits with his finger and memorizes the form and spelling as well as possible. Then it runs into the other room and tries to copy this number correctly on paper or in the sand.