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
sanderson76 says
June 1, 2013 at 7:10 amI would use this for Math learning
Sandra says
June 1, 2013 at 7:12 amI would use this to make a word game for my daughter, plus anything she gets to use markers on is a hit!
Sarah says
June 1, 2013 at 8:15 amI 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!
Whitney says
June 1, 2013 at 8:28 amThis 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!
Tammy says
June 1, 2013 at 8:36 amI can definitely see me using it for math and sightwords with my preschooler.
Diane says
June 1, 2013 at 8:44 amI love how these can be used for reading, writing and math!
Missy Snyder says
June 1, 2013 at 8:50 amThese are wonderful! You have a lot of uses for them!
Ann says
June 1, 2013 at 9:02 amwe 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. 🙂
Tonia Fortkamp says
June 1, 2013 at 9:25 amI 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.
Kelly says
June 1, 2013 at 9:51 amSo many ideas!
Audra says
June 1, 2013 at 9:56 amWow! These look great! ic an think of so many ways to use these.
THERESA OLIVER says
June 1, 2013 at 10:40 amI 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.
Marianne Criqui Sunderland says
June 1, 2013 at 11:01 amI have a few kids with dyslexia. I would use this to help them with phonemic awareness. 🙂
Abby J says
June 1, 2013 at 11:13 amThese would be a hit for small reading and math groups in my K classroom!
Tammy R says
June 1, 2013 at 11:27 amThese 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.
MelissaS says
June 1, 2013 at 11:32 amMath and Reading games. My son loves that!
mistie says
June 1, 2013 at 11:36 amMy 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!
Cassie @ 3Dinosaurs.com says
June 1, 2013 at 12:00 pmI would use these for reading!
Melissa Mize says
June 1, 2013 at 12:30 pmThis looks like a great resource to use. Thanks!!
juli vrotney says
June 1, 2013 at 12:30 pmI would use it for reading and maybe math.
Jessica A. says
June 1, 2013 at 1:55 pmI love this! I would use it for phonics and math!
Kelly L says
June 1, 2013 at 2:31 pmThese look like great fun!
Tricia O. says
June 1, 2013 at 4:32 pmMainly for phonics, but I like your math ideas as well.
brittney says
June 1, 2013 at 6:03 pmI just finished my first year of teaching preschool. ..these would be so fun in the classroom!
Allison says
June 1, 2013 at 8:49 pmI would use it with my 3 and 4 year old.
Jeniver says
June 2, 2013 at 12:37 amI would use this with my rising 1st grader with reading and math.
Cherie says
June 2, 2013 at 2:50 amI’d use it for a sight word game!
Tina says
June 2, 2013 at 8:46 amThese are adorable! I’d use them for phonics (and math, most likely!) with my students at school!
Jennifer C says
June 2, 2013 at 10:13 amI would definitely use these for math. I’m always trying to find hands-on activities for math.
Dinah says
June 2, 2013 at 10:20 amWhat a wonderful idea, thanks for sharing!
Dinah says
June 2, 2013 at 10:22 amThe things I could do with these…build words, math concepts, Spanish,….
kelly tillotson says
June 2, 2013 at 1:33 pmi like how you did the number sentence, i might do something like that
*kelly
kelly-tillotson@hotmail.com
Jamie says
June 2, 2013 at 10:38 pmWould love to have this to help my dd learn more!
Jennifer says
June 3, 2013 at 7:14 amI would use these for teaching beginning reading.
Pam says
June 3, 2013 at 7:29 amI would use it just like you did!
Rachel says
June 3, 2013 at 7:40 amI would apply them to reading and math!
Bambie K. says
June 3, 2013 at 8:28 amI 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!
Jessica G says
June 3, 2013 at 10:07 amWow, this is a neat resource!! My kids would love it!
Amy D says
June 3, 2013 at 10:09 amCurrently 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.
Steph says
June 3, 2013 at 10:39 amThat is a really good idea! Wish I had that when I was younger 🙂
Jamie Eaton says
June 3, 2013 at 10:47 amI love how versatile these are! I’d use them as you’ve shown above with my K’er who is currently learning to read.
allprayer says
June 3, 2013 at 10:49 amThese look so unique. I think even my grandson would try these for math ,writing and reading.
Sheahnaw says
June 3, 2013 at 10:52 amThis would be a great learning tool for my 3 year old..and my 2nd grader!
Caitlin O'Dell says
June 3, 2013 at 10:54 amWe would use them in a lot of the ways you described. Having young readers and also using them for math manipulatives. So fun!
Oma says
June 3, 2013 at 10:59 amHappy to find your blog and resources!
Jodi says
June 3, 2013 at 11:18 amMy daughter loves hands on activities, so this would be great for reading and math.
myboysmommy says
June 3, 2013 at 12:07 pmThese are awesome!! I think we would primarily use them for math, but the possibilities are endless!! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win!!
Tanya Dembovsky says
June 3, 2013 at 12:28 pmI would use it for Math, Reading and Writing. I am starting out with home-schooling. All new to me.
marybeth says
June 3, 2013 at 12:44 pmLOVE THIS! I work with kids with visual impairments so this makes things ssoooo concrete for them.
rejoicedover says
June 3, 2013 at 1:14 pmI would probably use it the same way as pictured above! Great ideas!
LeAnn says
June 3, 2013 at 1:25 pmI would use them for spelling. My DD is starting to write and these would be a great manipulative!
Angela Bennett says
June 3, 2013 at 1:58 pmI would love these to use with my daughter! I love all the ideas you suggested and wouuld probably try them all
Jackie says
June 3, 2013 at 2:53 pmThis 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!!
Erin T. says
June 3, 2013 at 3:56 pmMy boys would love to use this tool…especially with the cars on it 🙂
Jill B. says
June 3, 2013 at 3:57 pmI would use them as a word game!
Charlene says
June 3, 2013 at 5:25 pmThese look great for my kids. Anything to make learning to read more fun for my struggling 7 yo son would be great. Thanks.
Ashley says
June 3, 2013 at 6:56 pmI would use them with my kindergarteners who struggle with phonemic awareness!
Mandy says
June 3, 2013 at 9:57 pmI would use it with my 5 year old 🙂
Holly S says
June 3, 2013 at 10:08 pmI would use these for math lessons , and reading lessons
Charis says
June 3, 2013 at 11:51 pmWhat an amazing tool! We would use this for counting practice right now, but I love the possibilities as my son gets older!
Norma says
June 4, 2013 at 1:08 amWow, nice for kids to enjoy learning and not feel drilled.
Aubrey Rentschler says
June 4, 2013 at 1:44 amI 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!
Rachel says
June 4, 2013 at 4:43 amI <3 these! I would use them for many reading, writing and math games for my four year olds.
Suzanne says
June 4, 2013 at 4:27 pmThis would be a great way to get my kinesthetic learner involved! He fights me every day 🙁
Anna - the Measured Mom says
June 5, 2013 at 6:26 amI’d use it to teach my kids about syllables and also about the number of phonemes within words.
Theresa Cumberledge says
June 5, 2013 at 7:45 amHonestly, I don’t know. I would imagine there are all kinds of things you can do and I like all the ideas you posted!
Kim says
June 5, 2013 at 3:34 pmI LOVE these! What a great and inventive concept. I have a 3 year old and 5 year old who would LOVE them too.
chris says
June 5, 2013 at 4:44 pmWow, these boards are great. So much fun and so much learning.
Chris
Alison says
June 6, 2013 at 8:25 pmI”ll use it for sight words and making sentences
Deana Steele says
June 6, 2013 at 11:45 pmI would start with the syllables – boy would he love love love the cars!
etrieberbeth says
June 7, 2013 at 12:25 pmLove the versatility of these!
Sarah says
June 7, 2013 at 8:10 pmI 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.
megan says
June 7, 2013 at 10:34 pmI hope I win, thanks for the great giveaway
Tina says
June 8, 2013 at 11:18 amI like the math option. Very much enjoy your blog. Keep up the great work!
Molly S says
June 8, 2013 at 11:30 amMy kids love hands on learning.
Emily Ward Quesenberry says
June 8, 2013 at 12:08 pmThis would be great for early phonics 🙂
Heather @ fearfultofearlessblog.com says
June 8, 2013 at 1:09 pmI would definitely use it to help my daughter visually see the separation of the phonemes as she is just beginning that process.
Jodi says
June 8, 2013 at 1:59 pmI could use this in so many ways with my three kids, lettet and math activities.
Teresa Thomasson says
June 8, 2013 at 2:30 pmI like how you can use thus for reading, writing and math.
Amanda Bush says
June 8, 2013 at 2:41 pmI would use it for writing with my kiddos.
Lorra says
June 8, 2013 at 3:00 pmI would use this to teach math and syllables