These boxes can be used as follows:

• Pronounce a target word slowly, stretching it out by sound.
• Ask the child to repeat the word.
• Have the child count the number of phonemes in the word, not necessarily the number of letters. For example, wish has three phonemes and will use three boxes. /w/, /i/, /sh/
• Direct the child to slide one coloured counter, Unifix cube, or corresponding letter into each cell of the Elkonin box template as he/she repeats the sound.

Guided sound blending
Guided sound blending is a routine required in teaching students to read words using the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they know. At first, blending is achieved sound by sound.

Additive sound blending
Additive sound by sound blending is when the teacher writes or uses magnetic letters to show the first letter in a word.

• The students are cued to make the sound.
• Next, the teacher writes or adds the second letter and blends those two sounds with the students.
• Finally the teacher adds another letter and blends all three letters with the students as they slowly slide their finger under the letters.
• This can be repeated and the teacher can say ‘blend it’ as the students blend the sounds to read the word.
• Repeat.
• Point to the word, say ‘what word?’
• Wait for students to say the entire word.
• Use the word in a sentence or ask a student to say the word in a sentence. Mention multiple meanings to the students, show pictures or have real items to share.

Whole word blending
● The teacher touches each letter to cue the students to produce the sound represented by each grapheme, and then blends the whole word together. For example, write the word rash on the board. Underline and point to ‘r’. Say “Sound?” Students should say /r/.
● Touch each successive letter saying ‘Sound?” for each one /r/ – /a/ – /sh/. Then guide the blending of the whole word by running your finger under the word left to right, about one phoneme per half a second.
● Slowly compress the extended version of rrraaashsh to rash.
● Point to the word and say “The word is rash.”
● Check for understanding and/or have the students use the word in a sentence (connect to the word meaning).

As students practice and are repeatedly exposed to words in print they will become more automatic and fluent and begin to recognise words as a whole. They will become ‘sight’ words, meaning they are instantly recognised without conscious decoding (orthographically mapped).

Silent blending
As students progress they can move from orally blending to silently blending. Encourage students to blend words silently in their head or in a whisper before saying the whole word aloud. This is a transitional step that some students need to go through. Also be aware that some students may spend months blending vocally and practising letter sounds before they can blend reliably on their own, particularly our dyslexic learners.