What is the benefit of using blank squares in Elkonin boxes?

Using blank squares in Elkonin boxes is beneficial because it allows students to systematically break down and blend sounds into words. Each square represents a sound (phoneme), and when students place a letter or a letter combination in these boxes, they focus on the individual sounds that make up a word. This visual representation helps students to better understand the connection between phonemes and their corresponding graphemes, facilitating the blending process necessary for reading and spelling.

By employing this method, students can clearly see how sounds can be combined to form words, enhancing their phonemic awareness. This is crucial for developing decoding skills, which are foundational for proficient reading. The other options, while they may address different aspects of literacy skills, do not capture the primary purpose of using blank squares in Elkonin boxes, which is to reinforce phonemic blending.