Abstract: Magnetic alphanumeric characters having substantially the capability to be properly aligned to one another during display is proposed. The characters consist of magnetic materials with concentrated magnetic strength on one face. The magnetized face is glued to a thin transparent polyethelene material whose edges are cut in a zig-zag fashion. The zig-zag edges allow more than one alphanumeric character to be installed in a straight line vertically, horizontally and at an angle.

Abstract: An aid for teaching students to read, comprising sound letters formed from standard English alphabet letters, each sound letter corresponding to a single sound most commonly associated with a particular alphabetic letter or combination of alphabetic letters of said standard alphabet, each said sound letter characterized as having a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a left side and a right side, said sound letters adapted for arrangement in a visually associated, juxtaposed relationship to form combinations of said sound letters so that students are able to read said combinations of said sound letters phonetically.

Abstract: An educational device for broadening one's vocabulary and for developing spelling skills. The device includes a generally rectangular board member that is divided by printed, colored lines into several rectangular sections. Each rectangular section includes a pictorial representation of an object, along with the spelled word corresponding with the name of that object, and a series of side-by-side tile positioning indicia next to the spelled word associated with the illustrated object. A plurality of letter tiles of substantially uniform shape are provided, each letter tile bearing the same color as that of the dividing lines on the board member with which it is to be used, and also bearing a letter of the alphabet on at least one surface.

Abstract: Toy blocks and sets of toy blocks containing Braille characters for teaching young, sight-impaired children. A typical wooden block is cubical, comprising a pair of opposite, spaced apart display sides having recessed surfaces. One recessed surface contains a raised Braille character, and the opposite side displays the corresponding alphabetic or numerical character or characters. The recessed sides have borders comprising a bottom tactile-sensing portion that includes a plurality of raised nubs adapted to be touched for orienting the characters properly. Smaller Braille characters are preferably disposed beneath each alphabetic character.

Abstract: A game for building words and form concepts form the selection and arrangement of symbols within a given topic. A card with longitudinal slots is adapted to receive one topic chip per slot and one or more symbols that form a word related to each one of those topics. The symbols chips are pre-organized through the use of unique relief patters that are accepted in position with complementary relief patterns in a carrier for these symbol chips. As the players build their words they are called to defend them as being relevant to the topic categories where they were built.

Abstract: An educational apparatus for teaching symbols, such as letters, words and numbers which includes a number of cards, each of which features a drawing and/or a word or other assembly of symbols, and a number of symbol blocks, such as letter blocks, each of which features a hollowed-out region representing a single letter, and a frame for holding one of the cards and several of letter blocks. The user can select a card, place the card on the frame, and proceed to select and place onto the frame the appropriate letter blocks to form the word represented on the card. If a sheet of paper is place below the frame, the user can proceed to stencil in the word. Furthermore, the user can fill in the letters with soft non-adhering pliable plastic putty, such as play dough or silly putty and the like, and/or to fill in the hollow letters with specially designed letter segments.

Abstract: A deck of 52 standard-sized playing cards, with 50 cards, each having one letter of the alphabet on its obverse side, and 2 cards each having nothing on its obverse side; the blanks standing for any letter of the alphabet. The distribution of the letters in the deck is as indicated on the attached FIG. 4. The cards are arranged and combined in a word-forming game following the general organizational principles of Klondike Solitaire.

Abstract: A word puzzle device in which an unknown word is solved by substituting, for each of the unknown letters, the letters of the alphabet, and combining these letters with the letters known to exist in the unknown word to determine the identity of the word. The word puzzle device includes a plurality of elongated strips each having two sets of equally spaced letters. One set of letters is oriented vertically and another of said sets is oriented horizontally. A housing retains said plurality of strips in parallel and for longitudinal movement and has a first opening for viewing said vertically oriented letters and a second opening for viewing said horizontally oriented letters on each of said plurality of strips. The strips are moved to display different letter combinations through said openings. By combining letters of the alphabet, for any known letter, with letters known to form part of the unknown word, the unknown word can be discovered.

Abstract: An element for a didactic play, of the type capable of showing several surfaces carrying different representations, which may possibly be combined with the representations of other elements forming a set, in order to compose writings, images or the like, comprising a support, a prismatic body pivoted on the support and carrying on its faces some representations, and a control member carried by the support and capable, when operated, of acting on the prismatic body by causing a rotation thereof along the angle by which each face of the element is replaced by the subsequent face. The control member is formed by a push-button whose operation causes a rotation of the prismatic body in a preestablished direction by acting, by means of a pawl being a part of an inner operating member, onto an arrangement with escapement wheel carried by an end of the prismatic body. The set of such elements moreover includes a tray suitable for containing a number of elements, ordered by lines and columns.

Abstract: An electronic instructional apparatus is provided wherein the operator engages in exercises in spelling, arithmetic and associational exercises by responding, in part, to audible prompts provided by the apparatus in the form of requests and/or questions to which the operator must respond. The requests and/or questions are based upon digital data stored within the memory representative of numbers, letters of the alphabet, colors and physical objects, such as commonly recognized animals. The operator responds to the requests and/or questions by inserting answer blocks into input cavities provided in the apparatus housing. Each answer block has disposed thereon a plurality of display faces bearing indicia representative of potential responses to the presented statements and/or questions. Each display face has corresponding input surfaces which cooperate with detection elements to input into said apparatus the response selected by the operator.

Abstract: Preselected words, appearing on cards, are matched by aranging cubes with different letters on each face, some of which are repeated on different cubes in proportion to their frequency of use in the written language, so that the word is spelled out on the exposed upper faces of the cubes. Because some cubes contain two or more letters of a selected word, a player must select the proper cubes in a proper order lest an essential letter on a cube be unusable because another letter on that same cube has been used. The player who completes the word in the least time wins the round.

Abstract: An early-life educational device comprised of a waxed-surface writing pad with hook and loop fastening means on a translucent sheet for pull-away erasing of practice writing and drawing with templates. The templates are stored in a foldable storage container which is held in an up-right position. Its objectives are effective, low-cost, clean, convenient and interesting educational use for young children.

Abstract: This invention deals with a multi-purpose learning device for mathematics, language, logic reasoning, and classification of objects.

Abstract: A toy adapted to instruct young children by association. The toy teaches proper numeric, alphabetic, or color sequences and the standard left to right reading convention, by utilizing blocks that are inserted into shafts in a stand. Blocks inserted out of proper sequence will fall through the stand but passage of blocks inserted in the proper sequence will be obstructed and those blocks will not fall through but will remain supported within the stand.

Abstract: Progressively smaller pieces can be connected to the largest piece to aid in semantic mapping of an informative passage, for example. Legends can be applied to the pieces (and can be wiped off later). The pieces can be connected mechanically or magnetically. The mechanical connections can be different shapes to limit connection of a piece to the next larger piece. Similarly, the pieces can be magnetized to achieve the same end. The perimeter of each piece can be color coded to indicate the color of the proper piece to be connected to the perimeter.

Abstract: A block set, each block including a generally cubical portion with a frusto-pyramidal or convex portion, and an oppositely disposed frusto-pyramidally configured mating concave portion for interlocking. Each of the fourteen surfaces or sides thus formed includes a substantially similar pictorial depiction of an object, such as an animal or the like, with a letter imprinted on the object, preferably in a portion of the object which bears a resemblance to the letter. The edges of each side of the block are colored, with each edge being a different color for promoting color awareness, with the like colored edges of adjacent blocks establishing a preferred orientation for pictorial and indicia alignment. The individual pictorial representations on adjacent surfaces of the same block are oriented in different orthogonal directions for enabling reading of a word on the adjoined surfaces of adjacent blocks on at least one other of the adjoined surfaces of the blocks.

Abstract: A game is disclosed which consists of plurality of cards each bearing indicia thereon representing at least one word and a plurality of rewards. The cards are randomly selected and used to construct complete sentences whose meaning and grammar must be subjectively acceptable by the players. Awards are granted for the acceptable sentences.

Abstract: A word game for children comprising the combination of a plurality of magnetizable alphabet letters for throwing on a supporting surface to form a pile thereof, a permanent magnet stiff wand having a handle for pulling a desired one or more of the letters from the pile, each letter having a body cut-out into the shape of one of the letters of the alphabet so that, while disposed in the pile, it can be recognized by the sighting of a part thereof, the body of each letter being magnetizable throughout the confines thereof so that, when any part thereof is touched by the wand, the letter can be pulled from the pile, and a plurality of cards for the players to draw respective control cards therefrom, each control card having intelligence printed thereon which requires each player to spell a word with the letters on the card he pulls from the pile, the wand and the pile of magnetizable letters challenging a player's dexterity in being able to sight a desired letter or letters in the pile and to manipulate the wand

Abstract: The Visual Communication System of the Krempel Code whereby colors are used instead of letters of the common alphabet for world-wide relaying of messages can also utilize in any modern language the Visual Communication System Devices of colored cubes employed on indicated boards or trays, rectangular beltlike color selectors as well as computer displays for communicative purposes.

Abstract: A system of interlocking keyed play pieces is adapted for receiving and displaying indicia bearing tile members. Each of the play pieces is provided with a display window through which the tiles may be viewed. The pieces may be interconnected both laterally and longitudinally to enable a child to interconnect the play pieces in an infinite number of combinations so as to form a multitude of structures of varying configurations.

Abstract: A flip card apparatus is disclosed having a support for a ring binder spaced from one edge of the support and having equally spaced rings and a plurality of card decks, each card of each deck having punched holes for mounting on the ring binder and with indicia printed on the cards centered between the punched holes. The holes are spaced such that the number of complete holes is one less than the width of the card divided by the hole spacing. As indicia the cards can include letters, word prefixes, word roots and word suffixes, vowels or vowel sounds, consonants or consonant sounds, graphemes, phoneme mouth sequence pictures, raised pictures or Braille symbols. The corners of the cards may be cut. A support road is provided for insertion through a hole in the support under the ring binder. The support and cards can be constructed for contrasting color.

Abstract: A method for teaching word recognition in a course of reading instruction in which a student is taught to identify letters of the alphabet, to identify letters as being vowels or consonants and to recognize that combinations of letters and vowels form syllables. The method is based upon the student's recognition of the following voewl (V) and consonant (C) syllable patterns: V; CV; VC; CVC; CVV; and CVCE. A set of cards is provided with each card within the set bearing a syllable having a vowel or a combination of one or more consonants with one or more vowels arranged according to one or more of the syllable patterns. The student is instructed to select the card from the set which corresponds in sound with the first syllable of a selected word until the assembled cards define a selected word.

Abstract: An educational system for teaching and learning English grammar and syntax comprising a plurality of sets of individually manipulable members, preferably cards, each representing a word. Each set comprises a plurality of identical members and the members from each set are distinguishable with respect to their color and shape taken together from the members of every other set. The color of each member is informative to the student of the use of the member in a sentence. The shape of each member is informative to the student of the type of word that the member represents. Each member either has a word imprinted upon it or is adaptable to receiving indicia. The user combines members to construct sentences. Preferably, the members are cards which are part of an educational kit.

Abstract: A kit for teaching grammatical aspects of language comprises a plurality of question cards. Each card contains a different sentence of a predetermined number of words, and a plurality of answer cards each of which contains a sentence corresponding to that appearing on one of the question cards, and each of which bears indicia displaying the correct parsing of the sentence at a given level of complexity, there being at least one answer card corresponding to each question card. A plurality of answer forming chips, each being color coded to represent different basic parts of speech or speech functions is provided and at least some of these bear indicia further qualifying the basic parts of speech. At least one answer forming chip support is provided to receive and support, for visual display, sufficient chips to identify and qualify each word, phrase or clause forming each sentence on each question card at a given level of complexity.

Abstract: The invention relates to an educational device adapted to permit the rapid and simple assembly, disassembly and reassembly of letters, words or figures to facilitate reading. It comprises a planar area (10) of thick paper, cardboard, synthetic plastics or other material which is divided into a number of squares, oblongs or other discrete sub-areas of a desired shape (12 . . . 28) by dividing lines or gaps so that at least some of the discrete sub-areas can be folded over as flaps to cover part of a central area (18, 20, 22) of the planar area, there being letters, words or figures applied to both the front and back surfaces of the planar area, the planar area having corner flaps.

Abstract: A geometric game which includes markers and a playing unit. The playing unit has a multi-faced geometric configuration, such as a cube, with each face having a number of facets corresponding to facets on the other faces. The markers each carry one of a variety of indicia, such as letters of the alphabet, and have an adhesive surface opposite the side carrying the indicia. Markers carrying the indicia desired are chosen and removably adhered to each facet of the playing unit to provide a starting configuration. The playing unit contains an internal mechanism which allows any group of facets lying in a single plane to be pivoted about the perimeter of the playing unit to shift the group of facets from one face to another, thereby disorganizing the marker configuration. The internal mechanism must be operated to return the markers to the starting configuration. The markers are then removed for commencement of another game.

Abstract: An instructional toy (10) adapted to instruct young children by association. Colored three-dimensional overlays (30) correspond to printed matter (36) on rigid pages (12-22). The rigid page is of a slightly different shade of the color of the overlay for visual distinction between them when the overlay is properly positioned. Means (32 and 34) for supporting overlays in singular positions over the printed matter (36) are provided in such a manner that each overlay lockingly engages with only one corresponding printed matter (36) on one page. Multiple pages (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) are printed of various colors such that the page between pages of primary color indicate the color resulting from a mixture of those primary colors. While the invention is useful in teaching the young pupil, it can also be of value in the teaching of slow learners and adults with learning difficulties.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for teaching students to recognize and understand the function of various parts of speech. The apparatus includes a plurality of parts of speech cards corresponding to the various parts of speech. Each part of speech card includes a first side having information thereon that provides a clue as to the part of speech, and a second side having thereon the name of the part of speech and instructions directing the student to mark a word corresponding to that part of speech in a particular manner. The method includes matching to each word in a sentence a first side of a part of speech card and then reversing the matched parts of speech cards, thereby to identify the parts of speech. The method also includes the steps of marking the words of the sentence in the manner directed by the second sides of the parts of speech cards.

Abstract: Prismatic blocks having a triangular cross section are provided with letters and scoring numerals on two faces thereof. In forming words, the players position the blocks in a grid having rectangular openings therein so that only one of the lettered faces is visible. The scoring numeral on one face of each block is contained in a box, whereas the scoring numeral on the other lettered face is unboxed. The highest score wins the game. However, the players can earn extra or bonus points by combining the blocks in prescribed patterns, such as words of at least a certain length containing all boxed numerals or all unboxed numerals.

Abstract: A card-holding teaching device especially useful for blind children comprising a stiff body having at least one elongated piece of flexible material extending thereacross, the material having on one side tiny, soft, flexible projections which face the stiff body so that a card with teaching symbols thereon can be easily inserted between the material piece and the body because of the easy yielding of the projections even though they hold the flexible piece away from the body sufficiently for easy insertion by a blind student.

Abstract: A spelling, counting and memory game is disclosed in which a word card is provided having a word printed on the reverse face thereof and a numerical representation of that word on the obverse side thereof. A plurality of playing cards are provided having indicia printed theron. The indicia can either be letters of the alphabet or numbers representing letters of the alphabet. The playing cards are played from the players' hands in a pile in the order revealed on the word card.

Abstract: A constructional kit comprising elongated connectors and panels. The elongated connectors can only be joined to panels and the panels can only be joined to connectors. Elongated connectors have no means by which they can be joined to other elongated connectors, and panels have no means by which they can be joined to other panels. The elongated connectors comprise a number of longitudinal grooves into which edges of the panels may be pressibly fitted. Certain panels formed as doors and windows are provided with oppositely extending, axially aligned pins. The elongated connectors further comprise holes formed within each groove for pivotally mounting the pin-bearing panels.

Abstract: A teaching device useful in helping children, especially slow learners, in spelling, reading and pronunciation. The device includes a three-tiered case or housing having a movable drawer on each tier. Each drawer is divided into a plurality of compartments. In each compartment are placed a plurality of three-dimensional letter pieces which may be colored in a plurality of different colors to reflect different pronunciations in different words. One color code is provided for vowel pronunciation, while another color code is provided for consonant pronunciation. Additionally, the drawers may contain groups of connected letter pieces, consisting of two or more letters, to aid in forming words with common prefixes, suffixes, or intermediate letter groupings. The casing has the color code imprinted on one side thereof, and a syllable pronunciation aid imprinted on the other. On the back of the case are positioned small canvas boards upon which are imprinted additional phonics and writing information.