Elkonin boxes are primarily used for which purpose?

Elkonin boxes are specifically designed to assist with phonemic awareness, particularly in blending and segmenting sounds in words. This hands-on approach allows students to physically manipulate sounds as they place them into separate boxes, which aids in developing their understanding of the individual phonemes that make up words. By concentrating on the sounds, learners enhance their capabilities in decoding and encoding words, which are critical skills in early literacy development. This tactile engagement can result in a deeper grasp of the structure of words, promoting overall reading skills.

The other options focus on skills that are outside the primary function of Elkonin boxes. While they may support broader literacy activities, they do not emphasize the specific phonemic focus that boxes provide.