Powering up Early Literacy Instruction with Coko Educational Bricks
Phonics, the method of teaching reading and writing by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters, forms the bedrock of early literacy instruction.
The Coko Educational Bricks hold great potential for teaching phonics effectively, because:
They clearly demonstrate, visually, how letters combine together to make the different sounds within words.
The physicality of using the bricks means they offer a multi-sensory approach: proprioceptive, tactile and kinesthetic input. The pushing of the bricks onto a base plate and the pulling to remove them particularly provides “heavy work” (proprioceptive input) engaging more neurological pathways and assisting the learning process.
Coko Bricks are a solid hands-on material that makes learning phonics a more interactive and engaging experience and are fun to use.
They cater to a range of diverse learning needs and allow truly flexible and individualised instruction.
Teaching Phonics Using Coko Educational Bricks
The Coko Educational Bricks cater to all aspects of teaching phonics. Here are some
Letter recognition. Use the individual lower case letters to teach individual letter recognition and naming. Not sure what order to teach the alphabet letters in? We have a great blog post for you on that! Click here for blog.
Sound-Symbol correspondence. Use the individual letters to teach and reinforce letter/sound correspondences (the common sounds each letter says).
Digraphs and Trigraphs. Use the bricks to teach and reinforce important letter combinations such as; "ay" as in day, "ee" as in tree. This is a particular strength of using these bricks as they clearly show how a letter combination represents a phoneme. For example, three letters combine to make one sound "igh" as in night or "ar" as in part. Of course, we would be doing lots of examples of words containing the grapheme we’re focusing on, but see the clip below for an example.
Synthetic Phonics. Synthetic phonics refers to blending sounds together to make a word. Once a few letter/sound representations are known (eg s a t p i m), children can start learning to join those sounds together to make words (eg tip, map). In our specialist tutoring centre, we find two of the most common issues for those struggling to learn to read is: - (1) N ot knowing letter/sounds and/or common digraphs, and - (2) N ot knowing how to join the sounds together (blend).
The children who come to us for tutoring are behind the eight-ball because they lack word attack skills. Once children have a basic command of phonics, the single most important skill they can be taught is successive blending.
Combining phonics knowledge and successive blending skill opens the gate to being able to attack (decode or “figure out”) words when they are reading.
These bricks make learning and mastering the strategy of successive blending so much easier. Here is how we teach successive blending…
Segmenting and encoding. Segmentation in phonics, refers to being able to identify the individual sound in a spoken word. For example: Trick can be broken into 4 separate sounds “Trick” → t + r + i + ck. Children use the bricks to spell (make) words. We also like to use the bricks to put words back together, to reinforce the learning and mastery of a digraph or spelling rule. See how we use the bricks in this way here…
Blends. Blends are different to blending. Blends are when two or more separate sounds are “chunked” together (but technically remain as distinct sounds). For example: bl + a + ck the "bl" is a blend but the "ck" is a digraph (one sound).
Being able to recognise blend chunks, helps decode words more rapidly. You can use the alphabet lower case bricks to teach blends, however the Coko Bricks do come in various “blends” packs which do help children learn to chunk.
Onset and Rime. This refers to the two parts of a syllable: the onset is the initial part and the rime is the second part including the vowel. For example: cling cl (onset) ing (rime). Once again, being able to recognise, rapidly and automatically, onsets and rimes helps with decoding efficiency and reading fluency. The Coko Educational Bricks also have word family packs that can be combined with the lower case and blend packs.
Tips For Using Your Coko Educational Bricks
Which sets do you need to start out?
If you’re on a budget, start out with our recommended 3 pack. You can always add to this as you go.
We recommend the following as a starting point.
Lower Case 50pc pack
Digraphs
Vowel Sounds
Large Base Plate
Small Base Plate
If you have Duplo base plates, the bricks are compatible so absolutely save yourself some money there.
If funds can be stretched, we suggest getting two of the lower case packs. They do come with multiples of most letters, but sometimes you might find yourself short of a letter or two needed.
How do you set up the bricks?
If you have a large base plate, it is worth storing your bricks on them. It makes sure they are always facing the front and up the right way!
If you have a “system” for where they are on the base plate, it is going to save you so much time finding a brick you need. This ensures there is no lost time and your children are less likely to get bored while they wait or distracted (and more likely to stay focused).
We like to set up our bricks with the:
Consonants in alphabetical order
Vowels separate
Digraphs grouped in “teams” of like sounds
What to do if you don't have a brick you need?
Some digraphs and dipthongs and letter strings are not included in the packs. You can easily make your own “brick” by simply sticky-taping lower case letters together. That’s what we do with the /au/ sound (as in because). It definitely makes it easier if you have two packs of lower case letters.
Some of the people we work with struggle recognising the foundation style letter ‘k’. We put a white sticker over the top and hand-wrote the k in the more familiar style.
How can you clean your bricks?
We recommend using a household cleaner such as “spray and wipe” and paper towel. They clean up really easily.
We have tried nail polish remover, however it removed the print from the bricks - so definitely stay away from that!
Free Download
To get you started, we have created a free word list download.
This download gives you word lists with short vowel sounds, progressing in difficulty from CVC → CVCC → CCVC → CCVCC
Conclusion..
The Coko Educational Bricks are so much more than plastic blocks. They have the capacity to power up your literacy teaching.
If used well, they can be a gateway to literacy for young learners.
They are especially helpful in literacy instruction of those with significant learning difficulties or disabilities, they help support literacy instruction one brick at a time.
If you found this blog useful, we would love for you to share. Our goal is to provide meaningful content to as many people as possible.
Bio
Kirstie Wishart M.Ed (Special Education). Owner and founder of The Starfish Store. Kirstie’s professional life has included: teaching (in both public and private schools in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand), lecturer and subject coordinator at the University of Wollongong, Educational consultant (working with children and young people with a trauma background), OoHC Case Work Manager, and Specialist Tutor (working with children and young people with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities).
Your Free Guide
40 Proprioceptive activities for the classroom. Simple and practical activities to incorporate Proprioceptive into the classroom. 16 A4 sheets to print for your classroom, therapy space or home.
Looking to boost hand strength, improve dexterity, or find a calming sensory tool? Therapy putty is a versatile solution that can help with all of these, and so much more!
In our latest blog, we dive into the many benefits of therapy putty, plus share 20 creative and easy ways to use it for strengthening and stress relief! Perfect for...
Understanding phonics is essential for helping children learn to read and spell effectively. Our latest blog dives into the versatile letter 'y' and its four distinct sounds, offering practical strategies and tips for mastering these phonics rules step by step.
With easy-to-follow explanations and engaging techniques, you'll find that learning and teaching phonics can be both fun and rewarding. Join...
Discover creative and effective ways to maximise the benefits of your Lycra Body Sock. From sensory regulation to imaginative play, explore 20 innovative activities that enhance body awareness, coordination, and relaxation.
Perfect for sensory integration therapy, these ideas provide deep pressure input, helping individuals feel more grounded and centred. Whether you're a parent or a therapist, our guide...
Dive into the world of early literacy instruction with our latest blog post featuring Coko Educational Bricks! Follow Kirstie as she uncovers the innovative methods that are transforming the way we teach and learn language and literacy.
Click here to explore the full story and unlock the potential of Coko Educational Bricks.
Navigating the challenges of post-school meltdowns and hyperactivity is a common concern for parents. However, with the right strategies, we can support our child's emotional regulation and well-being. From routines to sensory techniques, each tactic contributes to creating a supportive environment for your child.
Join us as we explore practical solutions to ease the transition from school to home,...
When it comes to early start NDIS plans, you may find that not all children are allocated funding under the CORE category. The shift in funding allocation has left many families in a predicament, as they struggle to secure the necessary resources to support their children.
However, there is hope. You might be able to request an allocation...
Developing good handwriting is a valuable and practical skill. When you can write effortlessly, your work becomes legible and efficient, enabling you to focus on the content rather than the physical act of writing.
However, for left-handed students, achieving mastery in handwriting can be more challenging.
In this blog post, we'll showcase the top tips for...
Confusing the lettersbanddis a common issue for many learners. Whether it is mixing up b’s and d’s in reading or writing, or both, as parents and educators, it is important to address this early.
In this blog, Kirstie explains 'why' it is important and lists the strategies that she uses to help learners master their b’s and d’s in the Starfish tutoring...
Flashcards are a versatile and effective tool for teaching phonics. They are a simple and engaging way to introduce and reinforce letter sounds and word recognition skills.
In this blog, we will explore the benefits of using flashcards for phonics learning and provide practical tips for making the most of this valuable teaching tool.
As parents and teachers, we understand the importance of fostering early development in our little ones. Games are not only a fun activity, but they provide numerous developmental benefits.
From improving social skills to enhancing cognitive abilities, games offer a well-rounded learning experience for children.
Join Kirstie (M.Ed Special Education) as she talks you through some her top...
Learning to tell the time is an important life skill and it is a good way to promote self esteem & confidence. Many children struggle learning to tell the time, especially on an analogue clock. That doesn’t have to be the case, though.
You can make the process fun and easy by sticking to these three easy steps!
There are very few things (if any) more important for a child’s development than sleep. Sleep is essential for growth, brain health and overall wellbeing.
Poor sleep, or lack of sleep entirely, can be one of the biggest contributors leading to a child under achieving or struggling to reach their educational goals and developmental milestones.
Whether we like it or not, screens are here to stay. Technology is vital for staying connected, but what we can do is learn to manage screen time responsibly.
Games are an ideal solution. There are so many great, screen-free games to keep children entertained that are just as easy to pop in the bag or car, here's some of our...
I think we can safely say that learning to write your own name is probably one of the most fundamental early lessons. Let's face it, you'll need to do it your whole life! So teaching kids to write their name can be daunting.
Young or old, competitive or not, whether you have a disability or if games just aren’t normally your thing, there will be games out there to suit any house hold. It's not always easy picking the right ones, so that's where Starfish can step in.
Sensory processing refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into responses. Our senses provide information to our brain (and nervous system) - so we can do our best to stay alive but also so we can learn and develop.
Face masks. A hot topic. And one that could be with us for some time yet. These are strange times for us as adults. Imagine what it is like for our children. We are all trying to find ways to live and function in what is the 'new normal'.
Teaching times tables is one of the most common topics we are asked about here at Starfish - and for good reason, they're tricky! So we would like to share with you some of our top tips for teaching times tables and hope you'll find at least one that cracks it.
Trying to judge the level of difficulty of something, especially when it is easy for us, is something that can be a hard task in itself. Sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves, is this too tricky for someone else? Is this book too hard for them?
Lycra Tunnels. We love them. With these fantastic sensory tools being the featured product of the month, we figured what better time to share some ideas with you on the best ways to make use of these stretchy tubes of fun!
We all love jigsaws. Most of us have being doing them since day dot. They have a fond place in our hearts but can you honestly remember the last time you got started on one for yourself, and not your kids? Well now's the time. And here's why....
Sight words and high frequency words are an important addition to a readers knowledge base because they account for a large number of words they will encounter and therefore assist with fluency and comprehension.