Manipulatives for phonemic awareness: what to use for each skill
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Phonemic awareness manipulatives are objects a student moves to show sounds: one chip per sound, two cubes pushed together for a blend. Match the object to the skill, use plain matching tokens at first, and switch to letter tiles as soon as the student knows the letters. The goal is to fade the objects, so plan the switch from the first day.
Sounds disappear the moment they are spoken. A manipulative gives each sound a place in space, so the student can see how many sounds there are, which comes first and what changed. That is the whole job. A manipulative that is fun but does not map one object to one sound is a toy, not a tool.
This page matches manipulatives to skills, gives a plan for fading them and walks through one student's progress. The pillar on phonemic awareness interventions shows where they fit in the daily lesson.
Which manipulative for which skill
| Skill | Manipulative | How the student uses it | Move to letters by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counting words in a sentence | Blocks or cubes | Moves one block per word | Pointing to written words |
| Syllables | Bead strip or drum | Slides one bead or taps once per syllable | Underlining written syllables |
| Onset and rime | Two linking cubes | Pulls apart for /m/ ... ap, pushes together for map | Onset tile plus rime card |
| Blending | Linking cubes, arm tap | Pushes one cube per sound together while blending | Sweeping a finger under letter tiles |
| Segmenting | Chips with sound boxes | Pushes one chip per sound into a box | Letter tiles in the boxes |
| Counting sounds | Pop-it fidget or finger taps | Pops one bubble per sound | Writing one letter per sound |
| Sound changes | Colored blocks, one color per sound | Swaps the block that changed | Changing one letter tile |
| Mouth position (with SLP) | Hand mirror | Watches lips and tongue for a sound | Linking the mouth shape to the letter |
The Elkonin boxes page covers sound boxes in full. The rest are below.
Step-by-step: using manipulatives well
Step 1: Pick one manipulative per skill
Use the table. A student segmenting this week gets chips and boxes, nothing else. Too many objects on the table pull attention away from the sounds.
Step 2: Use plain, matching tokens first
For segmenting and blending, all tokens should be the same color and shape. Different colors can suggest that the sounds differ in some way you did not intend. Colored tokens become useful later, for sound changes, when a new color shows the sound that changed.
Step 3: Model the move with the sound
Say the sound and move the object at the same moment. "/m/" (push), "/a/" (push), "/p/" (push). Then sweep across all three: "map." The student copies exactly. The sound and the movement must be locked together, or the student will push in rhythm without thinking.
Step 4: Use linking cubes for blending and segmenting
Give the student 3 linking cubes. For blending, the student holds them apart, says one sound per cube, then snaps them together and says the word. For segmenting, the student starts with a snapped stick, says the word, then pulls off one cube per sound. The same object shows both directions.
Step 5: Use colored blocks for sound changes
Build "sat" with 3 blocks: red, blue, green. "Change sat to mat." The student swaps the first block for a new color. "Change mat to map." The last block changes. This shows which position changed before letters are added.
Step 6: Swap objects for letters
When the student is accurate with objects on about 8 of 10 items, replace them with letter tiles the student knows. The What Works Clearinghouse guide for kindergarten to grade 3 recommends linking speech sounds to letters.[1] Letter tiles are the manipulative that carries over to reading and spelling.
Step 7: Fade to no objects
Last, the student segments by writing, or does it in their head before reading. A finger tap on the table is a good last support because it is always available and draws no attention in class.
Low-cost options
- Pennies, buttons or dried beans as tokens
- A strip of paper with boxes drawn on it
- Paper squares cut from 3 colors of card stock
- Magnetic letters on a cookie sheet
- Fingers: one finger up per sound, then fold them together to blend
Expensive kits are not needed. What matters is one object per sound and a plan to move to letters.
Worked example: Kai, kindergarten
Kai is a fictional kindergartner with an IEP for reading and attention. In November he segments 3-sound words in 2 of 10 items. When given a handful of chips, he builds towers. His teacher removes all but 3 chips and uses a strip with 3 boxes.
| Week | Material | Segments CVC words (of 10) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | None (oral) | 2 | Says the whole word or the first sound |
| 1 | 3 chips, 3 boxes | 4 | Pushes in rhythm; teacher adds "say it as you push" |
| 2 | 3 chips, 3 boxes | 6 | Says each sound with each push |
| 3 | Linking cubes | 7 | Pulls apart cubes; likes the snap |
| 4 | Linking cubes | 8 | Ready for letters |
| 5 | Letter tiles (m, s, t, a, p, i) | 7 | Small dip with new material |
| 6 | Letter tiles | 9 | Spells 6 of 10 CVC words with tiles |
Notice the dip in week 5. Switching from objects to letters often costs a point or two for a week. That is not a reason to go back.
Kai's goal: "Given 10 spoken CVC words, Kai will push one token or letter tile per sound in order for 9 of 10 words on 3 consecutive weekly probes." Baseline: 2 of 10. See segment words into sounds using sound boxes. For a student who needs a motor response other than speech, see tap a dot or switch per sound.
Common mistakes
- Weak: A bin of 20 chips on the table. Better: Only as many tokens as the word needs, plus one.
- Weak: Rainbow tokens for segmenting. Better: One color for segmenting; save colors for sound changes.
- Weak: The student pushes chips in a steady beat. Better: Require a sound with each push and check by pointing to a chip: "What sound is this?"
- Weak: Chips all year. Better: Switch to letter tiles at about 8 of 10.
- Weak: Pop-it fidgets used as a reward between items. Better: One pop per sound, then put it away.
Tools and templates
- Templates for each skill are on the phonological awareness goals page.
- Score probes on the opportunity trial data sheet.
- For using manipulatives inside a timed daily block, see a 10-minute daily phonemic awareness routine.
- For home versions with household objects, see phonemic awareness activities at home.
- Check a draft goal in the goal checker.
Frequently asked questions
What manipulatives are best for phonemic awareness?
Plain chips with sound boxes for segmenting, linking cubes for blending and segmenting, and colored blocks for sound changes. Letter tiles are the most useful of all once the student knows the letters, because they carry over to reading and spelling.
Should phonemic awareness tokens be different colors?
Not at first. For segmenting and blending, use one color so the student focuses on the number and order of sounds. Different colors are useful later, to show which sound changed in a word.
When should I stop using manipulatives?
Switch from objects to letter tiles when the student is accurate on about 8 of 10 items. Then fade the tiles to writing and finally to a quiet finger tap or no support at all.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Phonological awareness goals (reading)
- Phonemic awareness in the IEP glossary
- Phonological awareness in the IEP glossary
- Opportunity trial data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Phonemic awareness interventions for students with IEPs
- Elkonin boxes: how to use sound boxes for segmenting
- Phonemic awareness IEP goal examples
- Phonological awareness vs phonemic awareness vs phonics
- Phonemic awareness activities to do at home with your child
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.