Abstract: Educational devices, educational systems, and methods of teaching and learning reading are provided. The devices, systems, and methods can include an indicium reader, such as an optical character recognition device, for reading indicium from objects. Such objects can be three-dimensional blocks and the indicium can be a letter, word, sentence, number, or some other type of readable character(s). The devices, systems, and methods can include a display for displaying the read indicium and an audio producing device for producing audio corresponding to the read indicium. The educational devices can be a self-contained, portable unit with the indicium reader, the display, and the audio producing device supported by a housing of the educational devices.

Abstract: A device for indicating the passage of two or more time intervals is provided. In one embodiment, the device includes a base portion with a user interface and a light portion. The light portion includes three lights of different colors that are disposed in a vertical arrangement above the base portion. The user interface includes a display and a keypad for programming the device with one or more time durations, and for associating one or more of the lights with each time interval. A controller is in communication with the user interface and operatively coupled with the lights to illuminate and turn off each light during its associated interval. The device may include an audio section linked to the controller for further indicating the intervals or transitions therebetween by outputting one or more sounds.