Let's Get Them Reading! Show the Code with Speech Sound Monsters (Phonemies) as Sound Symbols. The Code Overlay helps children learn to read The Village With Three Corners without guessing or memorising words. By making the written word code visible, children can see how letters connect to speech, strengthening existing phonics knowledge, however some children start on the books without any knowledge of 'letters and sounds'! . They quickly move towards reading for pleasure, independently and with confidence.
The SSP Speech Sound Monsters®, Phonemies®, make speech sounds (phonemes) visible to support bidirectional word mapping; that is, when reading or spelling new words. They are displayed on the MySpeekie® phonetic keyboard. Phonemies® are Phonetic Symbols for Kids, making speech sounds visible and word mapping easy to understand at any age and stage of orthographic learning.
Children love them because they are engaging and make learning to map words fun. Adults love them because they don't have to explain an opaque orthography; they simply show the code. MyWordz® technology means that anyone can check which letters are graphemes and their sound values at their point of need. This supports self-teaching and is central to Word Mapping Mastery®.
Emma Hartnell-Baker, aka The Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer® and self-confessed Code Mapping Nerd, has a pattern-seeking brain and was able to see the logic of English in a way that no-one else had, mapping every word in English using her Ortho-GraphiX® algorithm and Phonemies®.
What are Phonemies?
English can be tricky!
"If you don't get it, check it!"
Show the Code Training
ShowtheCode.com
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word, such as the difference between /c/ in cat and /b/ in bat. Phonemies, spelled with an i, are personified characters known as Speech Sound Monsters. They give each phoneme a consistent visual identity that children can recognise and produce.
Speech Sound Play is the Pre-Phonics Plan. It builds phonemic awareness by helping children tune in to the sounds in spoken words before they meet print. Speech Sound Pics is the whole class visual and linguistic phonics programme, where children learn how these sounds map to graphemes. Speedie Readies: Show the Code offers a dual route pathway towards word mapping mastery, supporting learners as they build accurate and efficient links between spoken and written words.
Across all three components, Phonemies help children see, hear, and articulate phonemes, which makes the speech to print relationship clearer and more accessible for all words. This visual and linguistic support is particularly helpful for at risk learners who benefit from explicit cues when developing early reading and spelling skills.
Speedie Word Mapping: Show the Code for Sight Words!​
Is your child dyslexic? We have a dedicated web site to support parents of dyslexic children who are struggling to learn spelling list words. TheSpellingRoutine.com
