Abstract:
An educational tool for teaching a child to read and write includes a writing board having a writing surface. A raised rim extends around the writing surface, the rim and the writing surface defining the interior of the tool for holding a displaceable writing medium. Indicia are disposed about the writing surface. The indicia provide additional sensory feedback to the child that assists the child in learning.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to an educational tool for teaching reading and writing skills.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A known educational tool for teaching reading and writing skills includes a flat writing surface and a raised rim that surrounds the surface. A displaceable writing medium, commonly table salt, is distributed over the writing surface. The child writes in the salt by pressing his or her finger against the surface and forming letters, numbers or shapes. Shaking re-distributes the salt and erases the writing. The rim prevents the salt from spilling from the writing surface.  
           [0003]    The tool assists young or physically challenged children in learning to read and write. Many such children lack the muscle coordination to hold chalk or pencils. The tool enables a child to write with just his or her finger, without use of chalk or pencils. The child receives visual and tactile feedback while writing in the salt, and many students find the tool fun and motivating to use.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The invention is an improved educational tool for teaching reading and writing skills.  
           [0005]    An educational tool in accordance with the present invention includes a writing board having a writing surface. A raised rim extends around the writing surface, the rim and the writing surface defining the interior of the tool for holding a displaceable writing medium. Indicia are disposed about the writing surface. The indicia provide additional sensory feedback to the child that assists the child in learning to read and write.  
           [0006]    In preferred embodiments the indicia includes letters, numerals or shapes that correspond to letters, numerals or shapes written or read by the child in the writing medium. The indicia provide additional visual feedback that enables the child to see correctly formed letters, numerals or shapes before, during and after writing in the writing medium.  
           [0007]    The indicia can be located on the rim and/or on an outer periphery of the writing board. The indicia can be even with the rim or periphery surface. In alternative embodiments the indicia can have raised or recessed surfaces that provide tactile feedback to a child running his or her fingers over the indicia and feeling the shape of the indicia by its edges.  
           [0008]    In particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention the writing surface is a non-stick or low friction surface. The surface resists sticking and reduces finger drag while writing.  
           [0009]    In yet other embodiments of the present invention the tool includes a pour spout extending from the interior of the tool to outside the tool for convenient removal of writing medium.  
           [0010]    Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying four drawing sheets illustrating five embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment educational tool made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a child writing in the tool shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a top view of a second embodiment educational tool made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the educational tool shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a top view of a third embodiment educational tool made in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a portion of a fourth embodiment educational tool similar to the tool shown in FIG. 5 but including raised indicia; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a partial side view of a portion of a fifth embodiment educational tool similar to the tool shown in FIG. 5 but including recessed indicia. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment educational tool  10  in accordance with the present invention. The educational tool  10  includes a writing board  12  that defines an upwardly facing, generally flat writing surface  14 . A raised rim  16  extends upwardly from the writing board  12  around the outer perimeter of the writing surface. The rim and writing surface defines the interior of the tool  10 .  
         [0019]    A pour spout  18  extends from the interior of the tool, through the rim  16 , to the outside of the tool. For clarity the portion of the rim above the spout is not shown in FIG. 1 so that the entire length of spout would be shown in the drawing. The spout includes a removable spout plug  20  that closes the outer end of the pour spout. The plug is preferably attached to or hinged to the outer end of the spout.  
         [0020]    Rim  16  includes a pair of opposed longer sides  22  and a pair of opposed shorter sides  24 . Each side has a similar convex cross section, with a generally vertical inner face  26 , an upper face  28  facing away from the writing surface and an outer face  30 .  
         [0021]    Formed on the upper face  28  are a number of spaced apart indicia  32 . The indicia  32  in the illustrated embodiment include letters of the alphabet extending along the longer sides of the rim and numerals extending along the shorter sides of the rim, the letters or numerals printed within contrasting color bands spaced along the rim. It should be understood that other indicia can be used as desired.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2 illustrates use of the tool  10 . A conventional displaceable writing medium  34 , preferably table salt, is poured on the writing surface  14 . Other suitable writing media include sand, rice, and viscous fluids such as cornstarch and water mixtures. The writing surface is preferably finished in a contrasting color from the writing medium so that writing formed in the medium is clearly visible against the surface. In the illustrated embodiment the surface  14  is colored black to provide high contrast against the white table salt.  
         [0023]    The figure illustrates a child writing in the salt with his or her finger  36 . The child&#39;s finger pressing against the surface  14  and displacing the salt  34  provides tactile feedback to the child while writing. The high-contrast, easily visible writing formed in the salt provides visual feedback to the child that accompanies the tactile feedback.  
         [0024]    In addition, the indicia  36  provide additional visual feedback that assists the child in learning to read and write. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the child is writing the word DOG. The indicia  36  includes the letters D, O, G that enable the child to see the correct shape of the letters. The child can use the indicia  36  before, during and after writing in the tool  10  for assistance in learning to read and write with the tool  10 .  
         [0025]    After use, the plug  20  is removed from the spout  18  and the salt is poured out of the tool through the spout  18  for easy cleanup.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment educational tool  110  similar to educational tool  10 . The writing board  112  includes an outer periphery  114  that extends beyond the rim  116 . The extended outer periphery provides additional stability for the tool  110 . In this embodiment the writing surface  118  includes a non-stick or low friction coating  120  that reduces finger drag when writing. The coating can be made from TEFLON (trademark) low friction material or functional equivalent.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment educational tool  210  similar to educational tool  110 . The upper surface of the outer periphery  212  includes additional indicia  214  (not all are shown in FIG. 5). The additional indicia  214  include simple spelled-out words, outlines or drawings of objects spelled out by the words, and common geometric shapes. For example, the indicia shown in FIG. 5 includes the word DOG and a representation of a dog that would be helpful to a child attempting to read or write the word DOG formed in the salt with the tool  210 .  
         [0028]    The indicia  214  can be formed substantially even with the upper surface of periphery  212 . Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the indicia  214  can extend above or be proud of the surface (FIG. 6) or be recessed below the surface (FIG. 7). Such indicia can provide tactile feedback to a child running his or her fingers over the indicia and feeling the shape of the indicia by its edges.  
         [0029]    While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.