Elkonin boxes: how to use sound boxes for segmenting
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Elkonin boxes are a row of empty boxes, one per sound in a word. The student says the word slowly and pushes a token into a box for each sound: three boxes and three tokens for sun. Start with tokens, switch to letter tiles once the student knows the letters, then have the student write the letters in the boxes. Each box holds one sound, not one letter.
Elkonin boxes, often called sound boxes, are named after the psychologist who first used them. They make an invisible skill visible. A student who says "sun" while pushing three tokens can see that the word has three parts and in what order they come.
The boxes are a segmenting tool first. Used well, they also become a spelling tool, because the same boxes can hold letters. This page shows how to run them. The pillar on phonemic awareness interventions shows where they fit in a 10-minute lesson.
What you need
- A card or whiteboard with a row of 2 to 5 boxes drawn side by side, each about 2 inches wide.
- Tokens: plain chips, cubes or buttons, all the same color.
- Letter tiles or magnetic letters for the sounds the student knows.
- A dry-erase marker for the writing stage.
- A list of 40 or more words sorted by number of sounds.
Draw one box per sound in the word you are about to say. For "map," draw 3 boxes. For "stop," draw 4. Telling the student the number of boxes is a support. Fade it later by giving 5 boxes and letting the student decide how many to use.
How to use Elkonin boxes step by step
Step 1: Model one word
Put a picture of a sun above 3 boxes and a token below each box. "My turn. Sun. I say it slowly: /sss/ /uuu/ /nnn/." Push one token up into a box on each sound, left to right. Then sweep your finger under the boxes: "Sun. Three sounds."
Step 2: Guided practice with tokens
"Your turn. Say fan." Student: "fan." "Say it slowly and push a token for each sound." The student pushes as they say /f/ /a/ /n/. "How many sounds?" "Three." Do 6 to 8 words.
Start with words of 2 or 3 sounds that begin with a stretchy sound: am, up, sun, fan, map, nut, sit, lip, mop, fin.
Step 3: Point and say
Point to a box. "What sound is in this box?" This checks that the student links each token to a sound, not just pushes in rhythm. Point to the middle box most often. The middle sound is the hardest to isolate.
Step 4: Swap tokens for letter tiles
Once the student segments with tokens in about 8 of 10 words, use letter tiles instead. "Push the letter for each sound." Give only the tiles needed plus one or two extras. This is the step where phonemic awareness becomes phonics. The What Works Clearinghouse guide for kindergarten to grade 3 recommends linking the sounds in speech to letters.[1]
Step 5: Write in the boxes
The student says each sound and writes its letter in the box. Then the student reads the word back. Writing makes the student pull the letter from memory instead of choosing from tiles.
Step 6: Words with blends and digraphs
Blends get one box per sound: "stop" has 4 boxes for /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/. Digraphs get one box for two letters: "ship" has 3 boxes, and "sh" goes in the first one. This teaches that a sound can be spelled with more than one letter.
| Word | Sounds | Boxes | What goes in each box |
|---|---|---|---|
| sun | /s/ /u/ /n/ | 3 | s, u, n |
| frog | /f/ /r/ /o/ /g/ | 4 | f, r, o, g |
| chop | /ch/ /o/ /p/ | 3 | ch, o, p |
| duck | /d/ /u/ /k/ | 3 | d, u, ck |
| cake | /k/ /ā/ /k/ | 3 | c, a, k (the e goes outside the last box) |
| stamp | /s/ /t/ /a/ /m/ /p/ | 5 | s, t, a, m, p |
Worked example: Jaden, 1st grade
Jaden is a fictional 1st grader with an IEP for reading. In September he segments 3-sound words into separate sounds in 2 of 10 items. He splits "sun" as "s ... un." He knows 18 letter sounds and spells most CVC words with only the first and last letter: "sn" for sun.
His teacher uses Elkonin boxes for 5 minutes in each daily intervention session. She probes every Friday with 10 new words.
| Week | Tokens (of 10) | Letter tiles (of 10) | Written spelling (of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | 2 | not tested | 1 |
| 2 | 5 | not tested | 2 |
| 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| 10 | done | 9 (with blends: 6) | 8 |
Jaden's spelling grew alongside his segmenting, because the boxes moved to letters at week 4. The team now uses boxes for words with blends and digraphs.
His fall goal read: "Given 10 spoken CVC words, Jaden will push a token into a sound box for each sound in order for 9 of 10 words on 3 consecutive weekly probes." Baseline: 2 of 10. The team amended it at week 6 to a letter-tile goal. Templates: segment words into sounds using sound boxes and map CVC sounds to letter tiles. For goals with more examples, see phoneme segmentation IEP goals.
Common mistakes
- Weak: One box per letter, so "ship" gets 4 boxes. Better: One box per sound. "Ship" gets 3, with "sh" in the first.
- Weak: The student pushes tokens in a steady rhythm without saying the sounds. Better: Require the sound on each push, and use step 3 to check.
- Weak: Saying "buh" or "tuh" when modeling. Better: Clip stop sounds short so the sounds still add up to the word.
- Weak: Tokens for the whole year. Better: Move to letter tiles at about 8 of 10, then to writing.
- Weak: Always drawing the right number of boxes. Better: Once the student is accurate, give 5 boxes and let the student decide how many to use.
Tools and templates
- The phonological awareness goals page has templates for every stage, including map digraph words with fewer sounds than letters.
- Record each word on the opportunity trial data sheet.
- For other things to push, tap or move, see manipulatives for phonemic awareness.
- When students segment with letters, the boxes carry straight into spelling interventions.
- Check a draft goal in the goal checker.
Frequently asked questions
What are Elkonin boxes used for?
They help students segment spoken words into single sounds, one box per sound. Once students know letter sounds, the same boxes hold letter tiles or written letters, which turns the activity into spelling practice.
How many boxes does a word with a digraph get?
One box per sound. A digraph like sh or ch is one sound, so both letters go in one box. Ship has three boxes: sh, i and p. Blends like st are two sounds and get two boxes.
When should students stop using tokens in sound boxes?
When they segment with tokens in about 8 of 10 words, switch to letter tiles. Then move to writing letters in the boxes. Tokens are a short first step, not the goal.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Phonological awareness goals (reading)
- Phonemic awareness in the IEP glossary
- Orthographic mapping in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity trial data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Phonemic awareness interventions for students with IEPs
- Syllable segmenting activities, from clapping to long words
- Phonemic awareness IEP goal examples
- Phoneme segmentation IEP goals: 24 examples, with blending goals
- Manipulatives for phonemic awareness: what to use for each skill
- Phonological awareness vs phonemic awareness vs phonics
Sources
- Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.