Zaitsev”s cubes are a popular method of teaching reading

Zaitsev’s cubes are now a widely used teaching aid for young children learning to read. The foundation of this approach is the belief that education should be enjoyable, interesting, and participatory. It was developed by Russian educator Nikolai Zaitsev. Zaitsev’s cubes introduce children to reading through syllables, in contrast to traditional methods that concentrate on letters, which makes it simpler and more natural for them to understand the structure of words.

Because every cube is different in size, color, and sound, it aids children in learning to link various syllables to both visual and auditory cues. Their attention is captured and a deeper comprehension of language is fostered by this multisensory approach. Children consequently frequently begin reading more quickly and confidently.

Teachers and parents who have employed Zaitsev’s cubes commend the approach for being clear-cut and efficient. It gives kids an enjoyable, stress-free approach to learn, transforming what might otherwise be a difficult process into an exciting adventure. Zaitsev’s cubes offer an imaginative and tried-and-true route to early literacy, whether used in the classroom or at home.

Who is Nikolai Zaitsev

Nikolai Aleksandrovich Zaitsev’s parents were teachers in a small town. Following in his parent’s footsteps, Nikolai worked for two years at a factory after graduating from school. He enrolled in the philological faculty’s pedagogical institute in 1958. He was sent to Indonesia for an internship in his fifth year, where he worked as a translator.

His well-known approach to teaching reading and writing was developed during this time when he was required to tutor adults in Russian, a language that was not their first language. He attempted to "convey the essence of the language to others" by experimenting with novel approaches and making captivating tables on the spot.

The young instructor chose to test his newly created teaching strategy on the middle classes of a comprehensive school. But here was where he was going to fail miserably. Without attempting to comprehend the rules, the students could only learn them by heart. They were unable to adjust because they were used to this type of instruction.

Nikolai Aleksandrovich then made the decision to test his technique on young children. The approach was changed, and he used humor to teach every lesson. And he achieved great success here. Young children, as young as one and a half years old, and preschoolers who struggled with reading could begin reading after just a few lessons. Several educational institutions started utilizing his system in its entirety, referring to the cubes as the "ringing miracle" in their work.

After observing the young children, the instructor made the following observations:

• In order to learn to read, little ones do not need to know the names of the letters. Most often, in the alphabet, letters are associated with pictures. The child remembers the image of the letter and the image that he has associated with it. Then it is very difficult to explain to him that CAT (letter K), SCISSORS (letter H), TOY (letter I), MUSHROOM (letter G) and STORK (letter A) add up to one word BOOK.
• Reading by syllables is very difficult for a child. Even if the baby learns the names of letters without pictures, it will be difficult for him to understand how the syllable MA is formed from the letters M and A. In order for the baby to understand the principle of merging syllables, teachers have to use various tricks in their work. But in the Russian language there are words of one syllable, in which there are many consonants in a row (for example, VSPLESK). Reading such words will be very difficult for a child who reads by syllables.
• It is easier for a person to first learn to write than to read. By writing he meant the transformation of sounds into signs, and by reading – the transformation of signs into sounds. It will be much easier for the baby to learn to read through writing.

You can discover fascinating details about Nikolay Zaitsev and his fabled cubes in the upcoming video.

General principles of Zaitsev"s method

Zaitsev’s original method has been around for more than 20 years. Still, the well-known instructor never stops refining it. These days, a wide variety of techniques and games have been developed to enhance the foundation. Even very young children can be successfully taught to read with the aid of this method. However, a few lessons will suffice for preschoolers as young as six years old, and you will be able to observe that he is already beginning to read.

This is a teaching method that works with both active, restless kids and kids who prefer quiet games with cubes. Working with children who have hearing impairments, very low vision, and mental developmental disabilities is appropriate when using this method. Working with them can yield excellent outcomes. Working with children who have autism has positive results.

In his approach, Zaitsev stressed that a child’s cognitive processes must pass through all forms of perception, including touch, motor memory, vision, auditory, and visual. When working with young students, a teacher should be able to set up an enjoyable and engaging learning atmosphere and guide the students through the learning process.

With the aid of cube-based games:

• the child"s vocabulary will expand;
• literate writing skills will be developed;
• the child"s speech will become more intelligible;
• a number of speech therapy problems can be corrected;
• develop the child"s logic and thinking;
• teach the little one to work independently.

Learning can be made interesting and enjoyable with Zaitsev’s cubes, a well-liked and successful approach to teaching young children to read. Through play and repetition, these vibrant blocks—each of which represents a distinct syllable—assist children in rapidly picking up on language sounds and patterns. This method is well-liked by parents and educators alike because it fosters natural learning, develops early reading abilities, and increases a child’s confidence in reading.

Package

Among the standard set are:

• 61 pcs. assembled cardboard cube
• 6 pcs. cardboard tables with syllables, letters, and other graphic signs
• 4 pcs. B3 cardboard tables
• listening disc with chants for cubes and tables
• method manual that you can use as a lesson plan.

What is a warehouse

With his approach, Nikolai Zaitsev provides a warehouse-based substitute for syllables. This is the primary language unit for him. One letter, a vowel and a consonant combination, a consonant and a hard sign, or a consonant and a hard sign can all be considered syllables. The methodology developed by Zaitsev is based on this reading principle, which is a folding room. This method bears a strong resemblance to Fedot Kuzmichev’s primer, the 19th century, and the alphabet of L. Tolstoy. The idea of warehouse training was also utilized in these books.

Applying a hand below the chin and uttering a word will reveal the warehouse. Then, the muscles in your hands will exert effort and function as a warehouse.

By his method, warehouses are found in tables and on cubes. He employed tactile, auditory, and visual senses to aid in the training of t.to. analytical thinking, which is formed only by the age of seven and is necessary for reading. Zaitsev differentiated the syllables based on size, color, and sound after placing them on the cubes. This helps to involve multiple channels of perception when the child takes the cubes.

Description of the method

The method’s creator does not believe that teachers and students should communicate in an authoritarian manner. It states that each child’s unique traits and developmental stage must be taken into consideration.

Only lighthearted methods should be used when teaching. Kids need to be active; they should run, jump, dance, and sing. Every move in the class is part of a cube game.

Cube sizes can differ. Hard-sounding syllables are represented by large cubes. tiny cubes that make a gentle sound. They might be two or one. Consonants in double cubes (zhu-zhu-zhu) do not blend with every vowel.

A syllable’s voicelessness is indicated by metal, and its voicelessness is indicated by wood.

Vowels are gold. On iron-wood cubes, a hard sign is shown, and on wooden-gold, a soft sign. On a white cube are the punctuation marks. The letter color scheme is different from the school color scheme. In this case, vowels are denoted by blue, consonants by blue, and hard and soft signs by green. Like that According to Zaitsev, children benefit from the blue, red, and green flowers that are different from school when they begin to read.

The cubes’ contents have also changed.

Beginners are first taught to read using only cubes, and then they are taught to read tables.

The set includes 52 cubes total, plus an additional 7 repeating cubes. Across the cubes, 200 warehouses are represented.

Sets may vary:

• may be offered a layout for self-gluing the cubes;
• may be already assembled;
• with a plastic base.

It will take a lot of time to glue the cubes by hand. They require additional internal strengthening. An identically sized cardboard cube can be used for this. It is best to cover them with rubber bands after gluing; this is required to prevent your cube from disintegrating as it dries. Laminate the cube layout or cover each cube with film for enhanced protection. It is advisable to duplicate each layout if you decide to use this version of the cubes. You will therefore undoubtedly have enough syllables to write words during the game.

It’s important to hang the tables fairly high. This lessens the risk of visual impairment and scoliosis. It is preferable to gauge the baby’s height by looking at their raised hand if you are the only one working with them. He should bring it up to the top edge of the table. The tables can be hung conveniently in the room’s corners, making it simpler for the infant to locate the folds that are required. To extend the tables’ useful life, you can also wrap them with film. Playing with cubes is not as important as using tables.

The method developed by Nikolai Aleksandrovich states that every cube’s fold should be singeing. He thinks that this has a far better effect and makes studying with music more engaging for the infant, which fosters a love of learning.

Let the kid play with every cube at once. He should never be denied this teaching tool. They ought to be in his line of sight at all times. Examine them carefully and let the baby get to know them.

Request that he select the cube that piques his interest the most. You must demonstrate the syllables written on its edges through singing. Request the discovery of an iron, wooden, gold cube first, then a small one. It is important for the child to comprehend that each cube has a unique size and sound.

Upon acquiring this knowledge, acquaint him with the syllable tables. Ask the child to bring a cube with the same syllables as you sing one of the table’s columns. Sing in a creative way, demonstrating to the child the range of syllables—voiced, voiceless, small, and large. You can even make use of the right motions. It is not necessary to request that the child repeat the syllables back to you. He will start singing both with you and on his own when he’s ready.

Use cubes or a pointer to teach the child how to write. The child will learn how words are made by singing the syllables and seeing them on the table. A child can be taught to write while simultaneously engaging in active games. Request that he write the names of your loved ones on the walls at various distances. Allow the child to run now to visit family.

Once again, we draw attention to the fact that all classes should be held only in a playful way. The child should not sit in one place, give him complete freedom of movement. Each child is an individual. He does not owe anything during the lesson. Allow the baby to develop to the best of his abilities, do not rush things. Do not make a forced lesson out of the game. Of course, it is better to exercise every day, at least a little, but if the baby is not in the mood for exercise today, it is better to postpone it than to force it. You can play both in the morning and in the evening. Focus on your baby"s mood.

Select the games that will most appeal to your child. It is preferable to use active games during the lesson if you are a fidgeter. Use non-activity-based games during the lesson if your baby enjoys quiet games or takes a long time to put puzzles together. Allow the child to build roads, cube-shaped houses, towers with storage, and locomotives with names if he enjoys building things.

The method’s creator believes that the method will only be successfully applied if all of the requirements—rather than just some of them—are satisfied.

View the key points in the following video.

At what age can you start training and what games to play

Almost from birth, you can introduce your baby to cubes. Remember that the child is not yet ready for school at this age. The child’s development happens at a very rapid rate up until six months. You shouldn’t put him under any more stress right now. Cubes can be a rattle, but they won’t always show him a word or a warehouse. During this time, do not attempt to observe any results and do not anticipate them from the child. You will now only be able to get the child ready for the training that lies ahead of him with their assistance.

The child no longer enjoys playing with cubes, such as a rattle, after six months. You can now begin to sing phonemes. Continue to display cubes, syllables, and simple words until the child reaches one year old. Let the infant squirm between them. You could try asking him to give you a cube that starts with a specific letter. Throughout the day, show and sing the baby the objects whose names you have made up by leaving their syllables on them.

The games that are offered to the child get harder as he gets older. You can already offer new games and raise the difficulty level for a one-year-old baby in addition to the ones that were previously available. Take it slow. You can create your own games or use the many entertaining ones found in the N. Zaitsev "Letter. Reading. Counting" manual. Ask the child what games he would like to play and engage his imagination.

Run "Zoo." Allow the child to arrange different animals in the zoo, creating animal names based on phonemes. He can arrange the products on the shelves in the "Shop." You should definitely pack a suitcase for your "journey." Allow him to take on the role of a chef, filling a saucepan with the ingredients listed for soup or another favorite dish.

Bring your kids over to play "Who can name more?" List the words that begin with each syllable. This game can have a theme.

If you place cubes in front of him, you should be able to figure out his name from the syllables on them. Allow the child to attempt it independently. Make the task harder the next time; he should be able to identify the right syllables on his own. Allow him to construct words out of the cubes, and then use a pointer to indicate the appropriate syllable in the table as you search for these syllables.

Since your games are far more interesting to the child than the ones the author suggests, he will enjoy playing the ones you came up with together. These games are going to be specifically the ones he enjoys, created with his interests in mind.

Pros and cons of the technique

Teaching reading with Zaitsev’s cubes has benefits and drawbacks, just like any other contemporary approach. Let’s investigate more closely.

Advantages

• Children learn to read very quickly. It takes very little time for a child to start doing this. Moreover, the older he is, the faster the learning process goes. According to the author himself, even children who have just turned 4 years old can start reading independently after 4 lessons. Of course, this does not apply to all children. On average, 3-4 year old children need six months to learn, an older preschooler needs 10-12 lessons, a 6-7 year old child will already need a week.
• Zaitsev"s teaching method is not tied to any specific age. You can start studying when your child is 6 months old, or you can use it for first-graders.
• The sounds produced by the cubes, varying in timbre, pitch and volume, will contribute to the development of hearing and memory, will perfectly develop a sense of rhythm.
• As a result of playing with cubes, the child"s fine motor skills are actively developed, which is very important for the development of intelligence.
• Training takes place at a pace that the child"s abilities allow. Everything is very individual. No one rushes or urges the children, does not tell them that they should do something.
• It will not be difficult to master the method. It can be successfully used at home.
• Children immediately learn to write correctly. The cubes do not contain syllables that are impossible in the Russian language (such as ЧЯ, ЖЫ).
• The Zaitsev teaching method promotes the prevention, preservation and strengthening of health. While playing, the child trains the eye muscles. This helps to preserve vision. Its preservation is facilitated by the arrangement of large text on the tables in different places, the bright color of the cubes, which does not irritate the eyes.

Game manuals placed according to the methodology’s requirements at the right height and in various locations are a great way to avoid postural problems, hypodynamia, and didactic workload during class.

Generally speaking, the game-based approach to reading instruction is effective in fostering the growth of a well-rounded, harmonious personality.

• The method is based on the principles of cooperation pedagogy, which helps to avoid conflicts between children, parents and teachers.
• Children play themselves. This is great for developing independence and self-organization. Even short lessons are enough for successful learning. Playing with them constantly, the imperceptibility of their implementation according to the principle of "by the way", will give an excellent result in learning.
• The methodology is very simple, systematic, visual.
• The child does not have to master the ways of merging letters into syllables, he learns ready-made syllables, which contributes to the ability to read fluently and without hesitation.

Disadvantages

While there are a ton of benefits to using this teaching method, there are a few drawbacks as well.

• Teachers, defectologists and speech therapists say that when memorizing syllables, without understanding how to merge letters, children often begin to skip the endings of words. Problems may arise when dividing words into syllables, analyzing words by composition.
• Different from the school color scheme of sounds (blue, blue, green instead of blue, green, red), create problems for the student with phonemic analysis of words. It is more difficult to retrain children than to teach from scratch.
• High cost of manuals. A lot of trouble when gluing cubes on your own.
• Certain difficulties arise when choosing the spelling of the letters E and E. The cubes have such syllables as BE, VE. In the Russian language, they are very rare. You will have to constantly stop the child"s desire to write the letter E in words where after a hard consonant we hear E, but we need to write E (for example, the word TENNIS).
• Using the technique will be more effective for children whose right hemisphere of the brain is more developed. They have more developed figurative thinking.
• Children may have difficulty isolating a separate sound from a word, what will affect writing.
• This method of teaching practically does not develop children"s creative abilities.

Comparison with Chaplygin"s cubes

Zaitsev’s approach served as the model for Evgeny Chaplygin’s method. But his teaching approach is distinct and proprietary. Ten single cubes with letters and ten double cubes that form blocks, along with usage instructions, are included in a set of Chaplygin’s cubes. Blocks of cubes spin on their axis to create syllables.

Let’s examine the primary distinctions between the approaches.

• Chaplygin"s cubes are easier to use.
• Chaplygin"s method does not involve memorizing syllables, like Zaitsev"s. He uses letters and syllables. It is easier for children to understand how to form words.
• Chaplygin"s cubes do not require much storage space.
• Zaitsev"s cubes are made of paper or plastic, and Chaplygin"s cubes are wooden.
• Purchase of Chaplygin"s cubes It costs much less than Zaitsev cubes.
• Zaitsev"s method promotes the greatest development of children. While learning it, the child gets acquainted with hard and soft consonants, voiced and voiceless.
• Zaitsev uses chants and tables in his method for better assimilation of the material by children.
• There are 52 syllables on Zaitsev"s cubes, and only 32 can be made from Chaplygin"s cubes.

Aspect	Details
What are Zaitsev"s Cubes?	A set of colored cubes with syllables written on them, used for teaching children to read.
How do they work?	Children play with the cubes, arranging them to form words, helping them recognize syllables and sounds.
Benefits	Encourages early reading skills, improves phonetic understanding, and makes learning fun and interactive.
Suitable Age	Best for children aged 3 to 7 years, depending on their interest and development level.
Learning Method	Uses a multisensory approach, combining visual, auditory, and tactile learning to reinforce reading skills.

Children can learn to read in a fun and efficient way with Zaitsev’s cubes. This approach employs tactile, auditory, and visual components to enhance children’s learning experiences. Children find it easier to understand the sounds and syllables that make up words because of the colorful cubes and catchy songs.

This method is especially beneficial for younger students who might find it difficult to learn through traditional reading methods. Children can still develop a solid foundation in language and phonetics while learning at their own pace. After using Zaitsev’s cubes, parents and educators frequently observe that their children have better reading comprehension and a stronger desire to learn.

Although every child responds differently to different teaching methods, Zaitsev’s cubes can be a great complement to a range of instructional strategies. Play and learning together can encourage a lifelong love of reading and curiosity. This approach has shown to be enjoyable and successful for a large number of families and educators.

Video on the topic

Webinar by N.V. Pyatibratova "Teaching reading using Zaitsev"s cubes and Pyatibratova"s method"

Zaitsev"s cubes. Learning to read while playing!

Early reading teaching method "N Zaitsev"s cubes" games and exercises

Zaitsev"s cubes/Unique method/What is the difference with Chaplygin"s cubes?

Zaitsev"s cubes: practical techniques and games

Nikolay Zaitsev about his method of teaching reading

Teaching children to read using Zaitsev"s method

Chaplygin"s cubes, Cubes Zaitseva | Teaching children to read | Review of modern methods