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- "The Elementary Spelling Book; Being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book by Noah Webster," circa 1848 - Noah Webster's speller offered simple guidelines for spelling and pronouncing American English words. Age-appropriate lessons taught schoolchildren to read and write, helping to define and unify American language. Known by its colored cover, Webster's "blue-backed speller" remained popular for more than 100 years. It sold so well that Webster was able to construct his New Haven, Connecticut, home using the proceeds.
- circa 1848
- Collections - Artifact
"The Elementary Spelling Book; Being an Improvement on the American Spelling Book by Noah Webster," circa 1848
Noah Webster's speller offered simple guidelines for spelling and pronouncing American English words. Age-appropriate lessons taught schoolchildren to read and write, helping to define and unify American language. Known by its colored cover, Webster's "blue-backed speller" remained popular for more than 100 years. It sold so well that Webster was able to construct his New Haven, Connecticut, home using the proceeds.
- "McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book," Revised Edition, 1907 -
- 1907
- Collections - Artifact
"McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book," Revised Edition, 1907
- Spill and Spell Dice Game, 1957 - Spill and Spell is competitive. Players take turns spilling fifteen lettered cubes and spelling out words from the upturned letters. Complex scoring requires addition and multiplication skills. The longer the word, the more points, and words that intersect like a crossword puzzle double the score. The first player to earn 300 points wins!
- 1957
- Collections - Artifact
Spill and Spell Dice Game, 1957
Spill and Spell is competitive. Players take turns spilling fifteen lettered cubes and spelling out words from the upturned letters. Complex scoring requires addition and multiplication skills. The longer the word, the more points, and words that intersect like a crossword puzzle double the score. The first player to earn 300 points wins!
- Puzzle, "Criss Cross Spelling Slips," 1880-1890 - Using pioneering color printing technology, McLoughlin Brothers became a leading publisher of children's books by about 1870. The company also produced blocks, alphabet cards, games, and puzzles. Children playing "Criss Cross Spelling Strips" used slips to assemble picture puzzles. When complete, letters on the end spelled out phrases related to the scene. As well as spelling puzzle pieces, the strips doubled as stackable building toys.
- 1880-1890
- Collections - Artifact
Puzzle, "Criss Cross Spelling Slips," 1880-1890
Using pioneering color printing technology, McLoughlin Brothers became a leading publisher of children's books by about 1870. The company also produced blocks, alphabet cards, games, and puzzles. Children playing "Criss Cross Spelling Strips" used slips to assemble picture puzzles. When complete, letters on the end spelled out phrases related to the scene. As well as spelling puzzle pieces, the strips doubled as stackable building toys.
- Hill's Spelling Blocks, 1867-1880 - There have always been toys intended to have an "instructive" purpose. Educational toys for young children taught concepts like learning letters and numbers as well as telling time. S.L. Hill was the first manufacturer in the United States to produce blocks in great quantity. The blocks in this set contain numbers, letters, and pictures.
- 1867-1880
- Collections - Artifact
Hill's Spelling Blocks, 1867-1880
There have always been toys intended to have an "instructive" purpose. Educational toys for young children taught concepts like learning letters and numbers as well as telling time. S.L. Hill was the first manufacturer in the United States to produce blocks in great quantity. The blocks in this set contain numbers, letters, and pictures.
- Texas Instruments Speak & Spell, 1978-1985 - Making an electronic chip that could synthesize speech was a tricky problem. But once the engineers at Texas Instruments solved it in 1978, their first product with their new chip wasn't an assistive device for the vision-impaired; it was a toy. The Speak & Spell was a popular and novel educational toy that pronounced words for early readers.
- 1978-1985
- Collections - Artifact
Texas Instruments Speak & Spell, 1978-1985
Making an electronic chip that could synthesize speech was a tricky problem. But once the engineers at Texas Instruments solved it in 1978, their first product with their new chip wasn't an assistive device for the vision-impaired; it was a toy. The Speak & Spell was a popular and novel educational toy that pronounced words for early readers.
- Junior Spelling and Number Board, 1940-1950 - The Junior Spelling and Number Board challenged users to locate letters, numerals, or symbols on a track, then slide them along to complete phrases in the center. On the other side, users could add, subtract, multiply, and divide with single- and multi-digit numerals. Playful images and words around the outside reinforced learning.
- 1940-1950
- Collections - Artifact
Junior Spelling and Number Board, 1940-1950
The Junior Spelling and Number Board challenged users to locate letters, numerals, or symbols on a track, then slide them along to complete phrases in the center. On the other side, users could add, subtract, multiply, and divide with single- and multi-digit numerals. Playful images and words around the outside reinforced learning.
- Alphabet Blocks, 1867-1875 - Mid-nineteenth-century companies drew on new technologies to produce and distribute inexpensive toys. In 1858, New York firm S. L. Hill patented "a new and Improved Spelling-Block" with imagery applied directly to the wood. Hill became the first American manufacturer to mass produce toy alphabet blocks. These popular toys helped children learn letters and numbers and practice spelling. They also served as stackable building blocks.
- 1867-1875
- Collections - Artifact
Alphabet Blocks, 1867-1875
Mid-nineteenth-century companies drew on new technologies to produce and distribute inexpensive toys. In 1858, New York firm S. L. Hill patented "a new and Improved Spelling-Block" with imagery applied directly to the wood. Hill became the first American manufacturer to mass produce toy alphabet blocks. These popular toys helped children learn letters and numbers and practice spelling. They also served as stackable building blocks.