If you’ve taught reading in the lower grades or have worked with a struggling reader for any amount of time, you are most likely very familiar with Elkonin boxes. These little boxes are the perfect tool for teaching beginning phonemic awareness and phonics skills, both essential for reading and writing.
So, you can only imagine how excited I was to see that Learning Resources has created their own version of Elkonin boxes with their super cool, super fun Write-on/Wipe-off Magnetic Sound Box: Answer Boards! These little boards, with their magnetic cars, have been a blast for my emergent reader and his younger sister. {What kid, boy or girl. doesn’t like cars?!?}
Four Ways We’ve Used our Answer Boards
We have thoroughly enjoyed using our answer boards for several purposes. I pulled pictures from my Reading the Alphabet curriculum and
we counted syllables in words {com-pu-ter},
counted phonemes in words {individual sounds}; a GREAT way to stretch the ear to get them ready for spelling/writing,
wrote the phonemes in words /j/-/e/-/t/ {dry erase markers work GREAT and they wipe clean with no problem},
He even created his own number game. I wrote a number sentence. He used two boards to solve it; then wrote his answer.
My Favorite Things about This Product:
- There are 4 boards in the box, meaning I can do an activity with 2, 3, or 4 of my children at same time!
- They’re fun! Although I’m building the foundation for reading and writing, my kids think they are just playing.
- The product comes with educational instructions and ideas on how to use it. And because they are open-ended in nature, there are several different ways kids can play.
- There are two sides to the boards {the front side has 3 parking places, the back side has 4}. This means the sound boxes can grow with my young readers. We might be counting syllables today; but in two years, we’ll be counting phonemes in words with blends and digraphs. It’s important to me to purchase items that have a long educational-life in my home.
Would you like a chance to win your own set of Magnetic Sound Box Answer Boards? Then enter via the Rafflecopter below. Be sure and read the Terms & Conditions before you enter. Please note that the only mandatory entry is a comment on this blog post. All other entries are optional.
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~Becky
I would use this for Math learning
I would use this to make a word game for my daughter, plus anything she gets to use markers on is a hit!
I would use this to teach syllables and early math with my three yr old and soon my upcoming 2 yr old. My 3 yr old son loves cars!
This would be a great learning tool for my 5 year old and 3 year old. It would be great for math. I can also see a use for spelling and sight words. Thanks!
I can definitely see me using it for math and sightwords with my preschooler.
I love how these can be used for reading, writing and math!
These are wonderful! You have a lot of uses for them!
we are doing reading the alphabet and sight words, so I would use the boards to help the struggling ones sound out the site words and become familiar with the letters that spell out the words. I know that it would help so many learn and have fun doing so. 🙂
I am a stay at home mom trying to help my 5 year old how to read and spell. He would love this manipulative to help get him there.
So many ideas!
Wow! These look great! ic an think of so many ways to use these.
I could use this for my 2 year old grandson, to help him learn to count to 20 and also forlearning beginning and ending sounds of words.
I have a few kids with dyslexia. I would use this to help them with phonemic awareness. 🙂
These would be a hit for small reading and math groups in my K classroom!
These look great! I would love to use this with my daughter as she learns to read, use them for math, use them for sight words, etc.
Math and Reading games. My son loves that!
My 3 1/2 year old son is just finishing up learning (intially) the alphabet and I am beginning to help him make connections between letters and actual words. (He loved your phonemic awareness craft…we did our first one this week and he was totally ready for it.) Plus, he loves cars!
I would use these for reading!
This looks like a great resource to use. Thanks!!
I would use it for reading and maybe math.
I love this! I would use it for phonics and math!
These look like great fun!
Mainly for phonics, but I like your math ideas as well.
I just finished my first year of teaching preschool. ..these would be so fun in the classroom!
I would use it with my 3 and 4 year old.
I would use this with my rising 1st grader with reading and math.
I’d use it for a sight word game!
These are adorable! I’d use them for phonics (and math, most likely!) with my students at school!
I would definitely use these for math. I’m always trying to find hands-on activities for math.
What a wonderful idea, thanks for sharing!
The things I could do with these…build words, math concepts, Spanish,….
i like how you did the number sentence, i might do something like that
*kelly
kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com
Would love to have this to help my dd learn more!
I would use these for teaching beginning reading.
I would use it just like you did!
I would apply them to reading and math!
I would use these with all four of my children for Math and Spelling. I am sure that we would also think of a ton of other ways to use them. Wonderful Giveaway!
Wow, this is a neat resource!! My kids would love it!
Currently I think we’d use it for letter recognition, that would be the easiest. Afterwards I’d most likely follow your pictures and have him count out syllables.
That is a really good idea! Wish I had that when I was younger 🙂
I love how versatile these are! I’d use them as you’ve shown above with my K’er who is currently learning to read.
These look so unique. I think even my grandson would try these for math ,writing and reading.
This would be a great learning tool for my 3 year old..and my 2nd grader!
We would use them in a lot of the ways you described. Having young readers and also using them for math manipulatives. So fun!
Happy to find your blog and resources!
My daughter loves hands on activities, so this would be great for reading and math.
These are awesome!! I think we would primarily use them for math, but the possibilities are endless!! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win!!
I would use it for Math, Reading and Writing. I am starting out with home-schooling. All new to me.
LOVE THIS! I work with kids with visual impairments so this makes things ssoooo concrete for them.
I would probably use it the same way as pictured above! Great ideas!
I would use them for spelling. My DD is starting to write and these would be a great manipulative!
I would love these to use with my daughter! I love all the ideas you suggested and wouuld probably try them all
This looks like an awesome tool to use! I’m loving your page to gather up all kinds of reading activities for my 4.5yr old and my younger one eventually too!!
My boys would love to use this tool…especially with the cars on it 🙂
I would use them as a word game!
These look great for my kids. Anything to make learning to read more fun for my struggling 7 yo son would be great. Thanks.
I would use them with my kindergarteners who struggle with phonemic awareness!
I would use it with my 5 year old 🙂
I would use these for math lessons , and reading lessons
What an amazing tool! We would use this for counting practice right now, but I love the possibilities as my son gets older!
Wow, nice for kids to enjoy learning and not feel drilled.
I would definitely use these! I would use them to break words apart and to identify syllables. I would also use them in Math to help represent simples numbers, addition, and subtraction. Thanks!
I <3 these! I would use them for many reading, writing and math games for my four year olds.
This would be a great way to get my kinesthetic learner involved! He fights me every day 🙁
I’d use it to teach my kids about syllables and also about the number of phonemes within words.
Honestly, I don’t know. I would imagine there are all kinds of things you can do and I like all the ideas you posted!
I LOVE these! What a great and inventive concept. I have a 3 year old and 5 year old who would LOVE them too.
Wow, these boards are great. So much fun and so much learning.
Chris
I”ll use it for sight words and making sentences
I would start with the syllables – boy would he love love love the cars!
Love the versatility of these!
I would love to use this with my son, a Kindergartner, who is very hands on and just starting to read. I’m sure I can use them with my 3rd grader too.
I hope I win, thanks for the great giveaway
I like the math option. Very much enjoy your blog. Keep up the great work!
My kids love hands on learning.
This would be great for early phonics 🙂
I would definitely use it to help my daughter visually see the separation of the phonemes as she is just beginning that process.
I could use this in so many ways with my three kids, lettet and math activities.
I like how you can use thus for reading, writing and math.
I would use it for writing with my kiddos.
I would use this to teach math and syllables