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The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach
Visit SpeechSoundPics.com
- AU schools should request purchase orders (ordering in bulk) email support@readinghut.com.au
The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach includes Phase 1 – Phonemic Awareness Focus - and a 30-Minute Routine within Phase 2, ensuring that all children can recognise, blend, and segment the GPCs tested in the UK Year 1 Phonics Screening Check (PSC) before the end of Reception. It also enables them to decode and encode over 400 high-frequency words, providing the strongest possible foundation for fluent and comprehending reading.
Phonics alone is not enough for every child to achieve reading fluency and comprehension, and 1 in 4 children struggle to understand phonics when taught with synthetic phonics. Within the Speech Sound Pics Approach Phonemies makes reading far easier for all however, reducing guesswork, slow and laborious single-word reading, and the anxiety that comes when reading feels too difficult. When children find reading hard, they disengage. A strong early foundation significantly increases the likelihood that children will read for pleasure.
A dedicated chapter in the Word Mapping Mastery Book explains how to implement the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach in a Reception classroom.
The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach: Word Mapping with Meaning – Excited to explore spoken and written words!
Build a Speech Sound Cloud Wall at home or school!
New! For the 1 in 4: The Different Reading Framework.
Training and support delivered through The Early Dyslexia Screening Centre, as in-house CPD and online through ShowTheCode.com with Emma Hartnell-Baker MEd SEN Expert in Preventing the Dyslexia Paradox.
A Different Path to Reading for Autistic, ADHD, & High-Dyslexia-Risk Young Minds. Different learning needs different teaching.
The Education Department is now fully embracing word mapping (phonics), so let's support teachers in doing it to the best of their ability! Our goal? At least 95% of children in neurodiverse classrooms becoming avid readers and curious code mappers before Year 1.
We use tech to teach the Core Code, which frees up teachers to observe children as they learn.
Phonics is not a programme—any more than SoR is. Phonics is a method of teaching reading and spelling that focuses on the relationship between letters (graphemes) and speech sounds (phonemes). But that’s not how most people think of it. When they hear the word, they think of programmes—structured, one-size-fits-all approaches designed without knowing the child.
That’s why I avoided even using the word for about ten years in Australia. I wanted to facilitate self-teaching and orthographic mapping with technology. Why? So that kids could read for pleasure—or explore whatever excites them! To empower them. Miss Emma
The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach: Personalised Learning of the Universal Written Code.
We are visually and linguistically mapping words. Our focus is on binding English speech sounds, spelling, and meaning together so they are stored in the orthographic lexicon, so that children start 'self-teaching' early.
Speech Sound Mapping (SSM) uniquely and excitingly bridges spoken and written English by making the connections playful, multisensory, and visible. Because of the Phonemies - phonemes made visible (phonetic symbols for children) - every child is given the opportunity to start school with good phonemic awareness, which is the best predictor of reading success. (NRP 2000)
Get Started with the 10 Day Speech Sound Play Plan
Speech Sound Mapping is being used by Speech Therapists in schools across Australia.
MyWordz with MySpeekie tech offers non-speaking children a voice!
A totally unique, neuro-affirming Phonemic Awareness Mastery (PAM) programme, ideal for children with SEND: Screen and Intervene.
Bonding together speech, spelling, and meaning to facilitate orthographic mapping with #InnovateUKFunded Speech Sound Mapping technology.
Phonemies: Phonetic Symbols - Visible Spelling Code
ˈbrɪʤɪŋ ˈspəʊkən ænd ˈrɪtən ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ fɔːr ɔːl ˈlɜːnəz
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Data collected over a five-year period demonstrates statistical significance regarding the timing of exposure to levelled readers. The findings indicate that it is not a question of whether to expose students to levelled readers, but when to do so.
When children have mastered the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach Green and Purple Code Level skills (CCL), they can start on Levelled Readers (around PM 10 - 12) or the 1, 2, 3 and Away Books. This accelerates learning growth as the children are exposed to more of the code. By focusing at all times on the connection between speech, spelling, and meaning, the books we use are mapped. This further accelerates their learning pace.
Kensi (aged 3) is using her Duck Hands to reinforce the speech sound to spelling connection
Scope and Sequence for Emma Hartnell-Baker's Visual and Linguistic Phonics Program used across Australia. SSP has not been launched in the UK as it is not a synthetic phonics programme
Within the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach a range of core activities are used school-wide eg the Speedy Six (Spelling) and also Snap and Crack (comprehension) Rapid Writing etc. They all complement one another.