Elkonin sound boxes: a 20-minute phonemic awareness lesson for K–1

1. Model first. Say "sun" slowly. Push one counter into a box as you say each sound: /s/ /u/ /n/. Then run your finger under the boxes and say the whole word.
2. Do it together with the next word. Children say each sound and push a counter at the same time.
3. Let children try alone. Say the word once, clearly. Watch who pushes the right number of counters.
4. Include words where letters and sounds don't match one to one, like "fish" and "ship". They have four letters but three sounds, so they still use three boxes. This is the point of the activity: we count sounds, not letters.
5. When children are steady, replace counters with letter tiles or let them write a letter in each box.
6. Finish by reading the words they built.

What to watch for: a child who pushes two counters for "fish" may be blending the last two sounds. Stretch the word slower and try again together.

What to change next time: for children who find three sounds hard, start with two-sound words like "up", "at" and "me". For children who are ready, add a fourth box and use words like "frog", "stop" and "hand". You can also ask them to change one sound to make a new word (sun to fun, map to mop) and move only the counter that changes.