US 7,018,210 B2 · Method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading

Abstract

A method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading is disclosed. The apparatus is a group of universally connectable blocks and a primer having intelligible reading units composed of reading indicia. Each block has at least three faces, and each face of a given block the same reading indicia type. Each block has a color that corresponds to the reading indicia type. The primer's reading indicia are colored to correspond to the blocks bearing the same reading indicia type. The method comprises reading the primer, reading selected reading indicia in the primer, and locating blocks having the selected reading indicia. An intelligible reading unit comprised of the selected reading indicia in the primer is read and assembled from the blocks. Two blocks are selected, having the identified reading indicia, and connected. The color or selected indicia are viewed to determine whether the indicia form the selected intelligible reading unit.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method of teaching and learning reading using a group of universally connectable blocks, wherein the group includes at least two blocks of different colors, wherein each of said blocks comprises at least three faces, all of said faces of each block bearing a type of reading indicia, the color of the faces and the type of reading indicia being the same on all of said faces of any one block, and wherein all blocks of the same color have the same type of reading indicia and each type of reading indicia is assigned to a unique color, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a first and a second block from said group of universally connectable blocks, said selecting based solely on the reading indicia or the color of the blocks;
(b) selecting any indicium-bearing face of said first block and any indicium-bearing face of said second block;
(c) connecting said first block and said second block so that the connected blocks are horizontally adjacent and the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
and
(d) viewing the color or selected indicia of said connected blocks to determine whether said indicia appear together to form an intelligible reading unit.

2 more elements

A method of teaching and learning reading using a group of universally connectable blocks, wherein the group includes at least two blocks bearing different reading indicia, wherein each of said blocks comprises at least three faces, all of said faces of each block bearing a type of reading indicia, the color and the type of reading indicia being the same on all of said faces of any one block, wherein all blocks of the same color have the same type of reading indicia and each type of reading indicia assigned to a unique color, the method comprising:

(a) choosing an intelligible reading unit to be assembled from two or more of said group of universally connectable blocks;
(b) selecting first and second blocks from said group of blocks, said selecting based solely on the reading indicia or the color of the blocks;
(c) selecting an indicium-bearing face of said first block and an indicium-bearing face of said second block;
(d) connecting said first selected block and said second selected block so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
(e) viewing said connected blocks to determine from said indicia or color of said connected blocks whether the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled on said selected indicia-bearing faces and if the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled, stopping the method;
(f) if said connected blocks do not form the chosen intelligible reading unit, then
(1) disconnecting one or more of said blocks and rotating at least one of said disconnected blocks so that at least one of the three selected indicia-bearing faces is different from the previously selected faces and reconnecting said blocks so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(2) disconnecting one or more of said blocks and connecting said disconnected blocks in a different order so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(3) selecting at least one additional block from the group of universally connectable blocks and connecting said additional block to one or more of said previously connected blocks so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(4) repeating steps (b) through (e) with previously unselected first and second blocks;
and
(g) repeating step (f) until the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled on said selected indicia-bearing faces.

12 more elements

A method of teaching and learning reading using a group of universally connectable blocks and a primer, wherein the group includes at least two blocks of different colors, wherein each of said blocks comprises at least three faces, all of said faces of each block bearing a type of reading indicia, the of the faces color and the type of reading indicia being the same on all of said faces of any one block, wherein all blocks of the same color have the same type of reading indicia and each type of reading indicia is assigned a unique color, and wherein the primer has intelligible reading units comprised of reading indicia, and at least one of the reading indicia is colored to correspond to the color of the blocks bearing the same type of reading indicia, the method comprising:

(a) reading the primer;
(b) reading selected reading indicia in the primer;
(c) locating a group of blocks having the selected reading indicia;
(d) reading an intelligible reading unit comprised of two or more of the selected reading indicia in the primer;
(e) assembling the selected reading indicia to form the intelligible reading unit by:
(i) selecting first and second blocks from said group of blocks, said selecting based solely on the reading indicia of the blocks;
(ii) selecting an indicium-bearing face of said first block and an indicium-bearing face of said second block;
(iii) connecting said first selected block and said second selected block so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
(iv) viewing said connected blocks to determine from said indicia or color of said connected blocks whether the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled on said selected indicia-bearing faces and if the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled, stopping the method;
(f) if said connected blocks do not form the chosen intelligible reading unit, then
(1) disconnecting one or more of said blocks and rotating at least one of said disconnected blocks so that at least one of the three selected indicia-bearing faces is different from the previously selected faces and reconnecting said blocks so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(2) disconnecting one or more of said blocks and connecting said disconnected blocks in a different order so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(3) selecting at least one additional block from the group of universally connectable blocks and connecting said additional block to one or more of said previously connected blocks so that the selected indicia-bearing faces of each block are visible from the same direction;
or
(4) repeating steps (b) through (e) with previously unselected first and second blocks;
and
(g) repeating step (f) until the chosen intelligible reading unit has been assembled on said selected indicia-bearing faces.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for teaching and learning reading

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24