The only way to successfully learn to read in English is to know the 'speech sound' values of the letters. We call graphemes 'pictures of speech sounds' or 'Speech Sound Pics'.
Welcome to the home of the
Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach!

The written code was created to represent speech sounds, not the other way around, so a 'Speech to Print' approach is taken. Phonics is essential for ALL readers, but students will struggle to learn phonics without good phonemic awareness.
We use our unique innovation patent design technique 'Code Mapping' to SHOW students how all words are segmented into sound units (graphemes).
This sentence is code mapped!  

We also use Sound Pictograph Mnemonics - Integrated (Embedded) Sound Pictographic Mnemonics (another way to focus on the Sound Pics®) Speech Sound Monster characters link only with speech sounds; the direct link to the sounds reduce cognitive load. 
We call this Monster Mapping ®

Even when children have good phonemic awareness and are taught 'phonics' they can struggle to know how to pronounce the graphemes they see in unfamiliar words. Many educators would use phonetic symbols, but these are less appealing to young children. Miss Emma, therefore, created 'Speech Sound Monsters' as an alternative, and to embedd as Speech Sound Pictograph Mnemonics. She 'Code Maps' and 'Monster Maps' texts and books for them, so that they can actually read unfamiliar texts without any help, and reach the stage of 'orthographic mapping' far earlier! 
All but two English words are decodable (can be Code Mapped) and we show these in red.
When there are graphemes only used in that word, eg the /wo/ in the word two or the /ach/ in the word yacht, they are put on the outside of the Spelling Clouds. There are very few.
Children explore these using the SSP Speech Sound Wall and Spelling Clouds, along the journey to becoming 'orthographic mappers'

Systematically taught phonics, phonics Code Level (decodable) readers for blending fluency, with the new 'transition readers' to bridge the gap and improve decoding and comprehension skills. 

You can now follow SSP using the Step by Step lessons.

This is ICRWY Lesson 100 - Starting the Main Readers and Phase 3 - I Can Read Without You (ICRWY) Project - from Miss Emma, The Reading Whisperer. 

At this point the children have covered all graphemes from Letters and Sounds (the 4 SSP Code Levels) and at least 100 high frequency words. They have been working through Code Level Readers (decodable readers) and most are now at the 'self-teaching' phase. In Phase 3 we are exploring authentic texts that have not been created with a limited number of graphemes (as with phonics readers) 

What are 'Speech Sound Monsters'?

There is a 'phoneme' Monster for every English speech sound. So think of each as being an alternative to a phonetic symbol from the IPA. They enable children to work out how to pronounce the graphemes without help from adults (ie they are 'teacherless teaching tools') and show adults which phonemes they can hear, even if they cannot (or choose not to) produce the speech sounds. 'Monster Mapping' is a fantastic diagnostic tool as adults know how children are segmenting, blending and manipulating phonemes even when they do not yet know the correct graphemes for that word.
The (phoneme) monsters enable children to learn phonics at a rapid pace, and reach the 'self-teaching' phase far earlier.
 

Miss Emma is studying doctoral work in the UK - See her SSP for Schools Site -
The SSP programme that is not a systematic synthetic phonics programme! SpeechSoundPics.co.uk 

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