Elkonin boxes are used for what aspect of reading instruction?

Elkonin boxes, also known as sound boxes, are specifically designed to support the development of phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. When using Elkonin boxes, students segment words into their constituent sounds and place a marker or a token in each box to represent each phoneme. This visual and tactile activity reinforces the concept of sound segmentation and helps students understand the sound structure of words, which is crucial for decoding and spelling.

Phonemic awareness is a foundational skill that contributes significantly to a child's ability to read and write. By recognizing and manipulating the sounds in words, students enhance their overall literacy skills, making Elkonin boxes a valuable tool in phonics instruction. The other options, while important in the reading process, do not specifically involve the segmentation of sounds, which is the primary focus of Elkonin boxes.