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History of Alphabet Blocks

Alphabet blocks were one of the first educational toys designed for children. Their purpose was to make learning more enjoyable and to assist children in learning to read and spell. Since their inception, blocks have been a mainstay of early learning, filling corners and shelves of preschool and early elementary classrooms. Nearly every child in America has spent at least some time playing with alphabet blocks, building structures and learning to recognize the alphabet at the same time.

History
- The alphabet block was introduced in 1693 when John Locke, an educational philosopher, announced that dice and playthings with letters on them would serve to teach young children how to read.
  In the early 1700s, Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, the pioneer of the kindergarten movement, introduced carved wooden blocks that had letters imprinted on them.
  During the 19th century, these alphabet blocks became common in preschools and became commercially available for use at home.
  In 1820, S.L. Hill of Brooklyn patented "ornamenting wood," the process of painting a block of wood, embossing it with a design and adding another color of paint to create multicolored designs in wood.
Significance
- In 2003, the alphabet block was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Requirements for inclusion in the National Toy Hall of Fame are that the toy has an icon status and is recognized, respected and remembered by a wide range of the population, was popular for an extended period of time and fosters learning, creativity and discovery. Forty-two toys have been inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame since it was it was established in 1998.
Benefits
- Alphabet blocks provide opportunities to develop physical, social, creative and cognitive skills. Physically, they develop fine motor skills as the chills builds structures and improves eye-hand coordination. Social benefits include improved interactions with peers and cooperation skills. Creativity is exercised by imaginative play. Verbal skills develop as the child talks about what he has built or describes the shape, size and location of individual blocks. Literacy skills are developed as the child learns to recognize individual letters and connects them with beginning sounds.
Effects
- The availability of alphabet blocks has made them a household object in any home with children. Parents and grandparents are able to interact with their children and grandchildren by playing with the same toy they enjoyed as children.
Potential
- Interaction between adults and children with these time-honored blocks can build family bonds and strengthen family ties because they provide a link between generations.

Educational Toys