Kerala grandmother, 85, teaches children with sand and stick for a decade

Indira Amma is an 85-year-old teacher from Kerala who continues a traditional approach to early education. She teaches young children basic writing, languages and mathematics without relying on notebooks, pencils or blackboards. Her work matters because it keeps a local learning tradition active while giving children a simple way to practise.

At the Temple of English School, she spreads sand on the ground and smooths it with a small stick. She writes letters and numbers, and the children watch before tracing the same shapes with their fingers. They study Malayalam, Hindi and English, along with mathematics. The surface can be erased and reused whenever they need more practice.

Her lessons have attracted wider attention after a video shared by the Instagram account Mom of Safachiiii went viral. Indira Amma is also known affectionately as Ashaatti Ammumma. She continues teaching in Alappuzha, showing how traditional methods can complement formal classroom learning.

Sand-writing turns the ground into a reusable practice surface. A teacher draws letters or numbers in sand, and children observe each character before copying it themselves. The method matters because beginners can practise repeatedly without using a new notebook page for every attempt.

Indira Amma spreads sand over a flat area and uses a small stick to form each shape. Children follow the lines with their fingers, watching how every character is made. If a child writes incorrectly, the sand is smoothed flat again. The child can then try the same letter or number once more.

This process combines watching, tracing and repeating. It gives children a physical way to become familiar with shapes instead of only looking at them on paper. At the Temple of English School, the same approach supports practice in Malayalam, Hindi, English and mathematics. It is an early-learning activity that complements formal instruction.

Indira Amma has been helping children learn through sand-writing for nearly a decade. During that time, she has used the method to introduce young learners to three languages and mathematics. The long period of teaching shows that the practice is not a one-time demonstration, but an ongoing part of her work.

Her lessons include Malayalam, Hindi and English. Mathematics is also taught through letters and numbers demonstrated in the sand. Children gather around her, watch each movement and then practise the forms themselves. The sand gives them a surface they can erase and reuse during the same lesson.

Today, she teaches at the Temple of English School in Alappuzha. Her approach remains a basic early-learning activity rather than a replacement for books or classroom instruction. Its continued use connects present-day children with Kerala’s older educational traditions while giving them practice that needs little equipment.

When children make a mistake, the sand can be smoothed flat again. They can then redraw the letter or number and continue practising. This matters because beginners often need many attempts, and a mistake does not damage a notebook or require a fresh sheet.

In Indira Amma’s lesson, she prepares the sandy surface and demonstrates a character with a stick. Children copy it with their fingers. If the shape is wrong, they erase it by smoothing the sand. The same surface is immediately ready for another attempt, so practice can continue without interruption.

The method creates a low-pressure setting for early writers. Children can watch, repeat and correct their movements without worrying about spoiling their work. The article presents sand-writing as a useful early-learning activity that can complement formal education. It also reduces the need for paper during repeated practice, although it does not replace books or classroom instruction.

Ezhuthiniruthu is a traditional Kerala ceremony associated with Vijayadashami. During it, a child is guided to trace first letters in sand or rice as a symbolic beginning to education. Aashan Kalari refers to a traditional learning system in which teachers introduced children to basic reading and writing through repeated practice.

Both connect learning with guided tracing. In older practice, children wrote Malayalam letters and numbers on sand or rice before notebooks and modern classroom materials became common. A 2005 Christian Science Monitor report also documented sand-writing in Kerala’s traditional kalari learning spaces, where young children practised under guidance.

The names and rituals may vary, but the use of sand as a writing surface has remained part of Kerala’s educational history. Indira Amma’s lessons continue that connection today. Her classroom shows how an older method can support early learning while formal education still provides books and classroom instruction.

Sand-writing offers a simple alternative for repeated early practice. It needs little more than sand and a stick, and children can erase the surface instead of using another sheet of paper. This makes it useful alongside notebooks, pencils and digital tools, especially when children are learning basic shapes.

Indira Amma demonstrates a letter or number on the sandy surface. Children watch, trace it with their fingers and repeat the movement. When they make a mistake, the sand is smoothed and reused. The activity gives them physical practice while avoiding the pressure of spoiling a notebook. It also does not depend on a digital device or expensive learning materials.

The article does not present sand-writing as a complete replacement for modern education. It describes the exercise as an early-learning activity that can complement books and classroom instruction. Its continuing use at the Temple of English School shows how traditional practice can sit alongside current teaching methods.

Tracing and repeating help young children connect what they see with what their fingers do. Instead of only memorising a character’s appearance, they follow its lines and notice how it is formed. This active practice can make letters and numbers more familiar to beginners.

Indira Amma first draws a character in sand with a stick. The children watch the movement, then use their fingers to reproduce the same shape. They repeat the action and can correct it by smoothing the surface. The process combines demonstration, touch, movement and repetition in one lesson.

This approach gives children an active role rather than making them passive viewers. It also lets them practise without worrying about spoiling a notebook. The article presents the activity as early writing practice, not a replacement for formal instruction. Used alongside classroom learning, it helps children become familiar with basic written forms through repeated physical attempts.