A reusable writing surface for children can be a flat fine-grained stone written on with chalk or charcoal, a board darkened and used the same way, a wax-filled frame scratched with a stylus, or a shallow tray of dry sand marked with a finger. Wipe stone and board with a damp cloth to avoid raising dust, and do not use salvaged painted boards of unknown age as writing surfaces, because old paint can contain lead.
Erasable surfaces for daily writing and arithmetic practice, made from stone, wood, wax and sand.
An Erasable Surface Saves Paper And Lowers The Cost Of Mistakes
Writing and sums are learned by doing them over and over, and a surface that wipes clean means a mistake costs nothing. This is also why practice should not use the scarce paper described in Homemade Paper & Ink.
What You Need
- Stone slates. The parent article suggests flat, smooth stones. Slate proper is a rock that splits into thin flat sheets; other dark, fine-grained, smooth stones work if the surface is flat enough to hold a line. Rub the surface smooth with sand and water.
- Chalk. Soft limestone or natural chalk, shaped to a stick. Charcoal also works on stone and washes off with water.
- Boards. Planed wood, darkened with charcoal or soot in a binder, and framed. For wide group use.
- Sand tray. A shallow box of clean, dry sand, as the parent article describes.
- Wax tablet. A shallow wooden frame filled with wax, written on with a pointed stylus and smoothed by gentle warming. This was a common writing surface in the ancient world (recalled). See Beeswax for the wax and its fire hazard.
Method: Making A Hand Slate
Step 1: Choose a flat piece of stone the size of a child’s hand span or a little larger, light enough to hold.
Step 2: Rub both faces with sand and water until smooth.
Step 3: Round or file the edges so they do not cut. A wooden frame or cloth binding also helps.
Step 4: Test: write with chalk, wipe with a damp cloth, check the mark is gone and the surface is not scratched.
Step 5: Keep a damp cloth and a stub of chalk with each slate.
Why Wet Wiping
Dry brushing of chalk puts fine dust in the air that children and teacher then breathe. Wiping with a damp cloth keeps the dust on the cloth. Rinse the cloth often and let slates dry in the open air.
Common Mistakes
- Slate too heavy or too large. A child who cannot hold it comfortably cannot write steadily on it.
- Chalk stick too hard. It scratches the surface and leaves ghost lines.
- Sand that is damp or dirty. The mark will not hold, and dirty sand can irritate eyes and hands.
- Using only a slate for records. Wipe-clean surfaces lose the work; copy anything worth keeping onto bark or paper.
Old paint, sharp stone edges and dust
Boards and panels salvaged from older buildings may carry lead-based paint, which is hazardous if chipped, chewed or powdered. Do not use them for children’s writing surfaces; sand-and-water scrubbing of such paint creates harmful dust. Broken stone has sharp edges that cut, and fine dust from dry-brushed chalk or dry-sanded stone is a lung irritant. Warm wax only in a water bath, never over a direct flame.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Preserving Books
- Combine with: Writing Surfaces for bark, parchment and clay