Can Do Cubes {TOS Review}

I reviewed Jolly Phonics and Grammar on Monday, and I mentioned the Can Do Cubes that we use alongside the phonics curriculum. Today, I am reviewing the Can Do Cubes from jollyliteracy.com.

What are Can Do Cubes?

The Can Do Cubes are small wooden blocks laser-engraved with the letters and phonetic sounds taught in Jolly Phonics. There are two trays in this set. Stage One contains the Simple Alphabetic Code, 27 cubes containing 44 different sounds of speech that make up the English language. Stage Two contains the Complex Alphabetic Code. These cubes show the variations for the 44 sounds. Also included are uniquely linked cubes for split vowel digraphs. There are also capital letter cubes to be used with lower case and upper case recognition and punctuation cubes.      

What Did We Receive?

We received the Can Do Cube Set, a CD including teaching ideas and worksheets, a DVD with interactive "sounding out" of letter sounds and combinations, Phonics and Word Charts, a Handbook for Stage One and Stage Two, and access to online worksheets and templates.

How Did We Use Can Do Cubes?

We used the Can Do Cubes along with Jolly Phonics for Silas's phonics lessons. We used these cubes in various ways:

• To review letter sounds - I  would have Silas roll the cubes and make the sound of the letter{s} he landed on. 
• To learn letter sounds - When Silas would learn a new sound, I would introduce it with the cubes.
• To spell words - I would say a word, and Silas would choose the correct cubes, put them in order, and read the word.
• To read words - I made words with the sounds he has learned, and he would read the words.
• To play games - We played several games with the cubes, including rolling several of them at once and trying to make a word with the letters we landed on.

I'm sure there are many more ways to use Can Do Cubes!  The Handbooks included with the Can Do Cubes is very helpful and contains many ideas. Handbook One begins with pre-reading activities, moves on to learning letter names, and finishes with learning the alphabetic code. Handbook Two covers vowel phonemes, split digraphs, consonant phonemes, double consonants, capital letters and punctuation. There are reading and spelling activities, as well as game and activity suggestions.

We used these cubes alongside Jolly Phonics, but I feel like they would work with any phonics curriculum! My older children like playing with the cubes as well, spelling words and making phrases. You could use these cubes for a child who has trouble spelling or reading. Having the digraphs on the cubes is very helpful! Teaching a child that "oa" says "oh" is much easier when both letters are on one cube. It reminds them that there is only one sound for the two letters. Therefore, when reading the word "boat", you will use three cubes - "b" "oa" "t".

Check out jollyliteracy.com and just2ducks LLC on Facebook, and Pinterest. There are many more companion products, like flashcards, puppets, and beginning readers, that work with Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar.