Using Elkonin Boxes
This is a handy guide that explains how to use Elkonin boxes in instruction, with the helpful addition of word lists for teaching.
Grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC) refers to the association between a grapheme (a letter or cluster of letters) and its corresponding phoneme, and vice versa. It may also be called letter-sound correspondence.
Understanding this relationship enables students to read by relating graphemes to phonemes and blending phonemes together to sound out words, and to spell by breaking words into phonemes and representing each phoneme with a corresponding grapheme, with automaticity.
Learning these skills occurs largely in the context of learning about decoding and spelling of written words.
| Understanding the relationship between simple and high-frequency graphemes (letters or combinations of letters) and the phonemes (units of sound) they represent |
| Understanding the relationship between simple, high-frequency, and complex graphemes (letters or combinations of letters) and the phonemes (units of sound) they represent |
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| Effective phonics instruction is systematic: it teaches all skills in a carefully considered sequence, starting with the simplest knowledge or skill, and gradually progressing. Learning basic grapheme-phoneme correspondences for consonants and short vowels is a key first step to reading and writing. |
| When teaching consonants and short vowels, first teach a group of consonant sounds with one or two short vowels. This allows students to apply their developing phonics knowledge to reading and spelling. Teaching using other sequences, such as in alphabetic order, or all the consonants first, doesn’t allow students to maximize this phonics knowledge in reading and spelling. Consider using an embedded mnemonic alphabet to teach basic code. Research shows that embedded mnemonics help students learn letter-sound links more easily (Ehri, 2020). Take care to link phonics instruction to other aspects of instruction, including spelling and text reading. Spelling practice should focus on grapheme-phoneme correspondences taught, and students should be provided with decodable text to practice reading words with the sound-spellings taught. |
This is a handy guide that explains how to use Elkonin boxes in instruction, with the helpful addition of word lists for teaching.
In this activity, students practice recognizing, sounding out, blending and reading words with short vowels.
Use this helpful list of words to teach consonant and short vowel grapheme-phoneme correspondences.
This game is a fun and engaging activity for students to apply their knowledge of consonants and short vowels.
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Funding for ONlit.org is provided by the Ministry of Education. Please note that the views expressed in these resources are the views of ONlit and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Education.
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