Copyright © 2019. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Word Recognition:

Phonological Awareness

Elkonin Sound Boxes The ability to identify individual sounds (phonemes) in words is necessary for students to become successful readers and spellers. Elkonin Boxes is a multisensory way of teaching students this phonemic awareness skill. Each box represents one sound in a word. For example, the word cat has 3 sounds so you would need 3 boxes. The word shirt has 3 sounds also (/sh/ /ir/ /t/).

Teaching the process: 1. Choose a word that contains 2 sounds (go, me, she).2. Say the word slowly and ask the student to repeat the word.3. Count the sounds in the word by holding up one finger for each sound.4. Draw 2 boxes and provide the student with 2 counters.

5. Place one counter above each box. Model for the student how to move acounter into a square as you say each sound. Then move your finger from left to right under the boxes as you blend the sounds together.

6. Ask the student to repeat your actions with the same word.7. Move to words with three sounds when the student can consistently match each

sound to a box.

Hints: This activity focuses on sounds, not letters. Blends (bl, st, tr, etc) contain two sounds

and each sound should be in a separate box. Example of words and the number of sounds

in each: • lake - 3• card - 3• shoe - 2

• tree - 3• jump - 4• shine - 3

Copyright © 2019. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Word Recognition:

Phonological Awareness

A Step Further: Manipulating Phonemes Using Elkonin Boxes

Have the student manipulate the word by either adding a sound, deleting a sound, or substituting a new sound.

Example of Adding a Sound

“Let’s change sit into sits. What sound do we have to add?”

The student says /s/ as he or she moves the fourth counter into the fourth box:

“Now say all of the sounds.”

The student says the new word, sliding his or her finger below the boxes from left to right: sits.

Example of Changing a Sound

“Let’s change sits into fits. What sound do we have to change?”

Copyright © 2019. Texas Education Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Word Recognition:

Phonological Awareness

The student says /s/ as he or she slides the counter out of the first box.

The student says /f/ as he or she slides a new counter into the first box.

“Now say all of the sounds.”

The student says the new word, sliding his or her finger below the boxes from left to right: fits.

Elkonin, D. "Development of Speech", In The Psychology of Preschool Children, edited by A.V. Zaporozhets

Adapted from the Literacy Achievement Academies Special Education Support Module, Grades K–1

Meadows Center 2017.

and D. B. Elkonin. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T. Press, 1971.

spraterSticky NoteThe name of the book should go first and be in itallics and the editors should go second. See reference page in the sample paper in the link below.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/cmos_author_date_sample_paper.html

cwylySticky Notefixed