Use the SSP Speech Sound Play Plan before teaching any phonics programme, not just the Speech Sound Pics Approach, to screen for dyslexia risk by assessing phonemic awareness and phonological working memory. We are identifying the 1 in 4 children at risk of struggling to learn phonics before phonics instruction begins.
IPA-aligned Phonemies are Speech Sound Monsters®. They show children the speech sound value of letters. Letters are pictures of speech sounds (Speech Sound Pics®), making word mapping visual, linguistic, and fun. Reading for pleasure by 7!
Speech Sound Play for SLCN
Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) affect how children understand, use, and express language. Around one in three children start school with SLCN, making it harder for them to learn to read, spell, and communicate confidently. Early support is essential, and Speech Sound Play is designed to provide that support, building the strong foundations children need to succeed. We use Peg Play Talk Therapy (PPTT)
The children love the Speekie Peeps! - The Speekie People
Story Peg People are simple wooden peg dolls that children use to act out the characters and adventures from the 123 and Away readers. They make speech and language practice playful, memorable, and meaningful.
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Brings stories to life: Children re-enact the tales from 123 and Away, giving voices to the characters. This makes practising sounds and words part of imaginative play.
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Supports speech sound development: By “owning” a character, children feel more confident trying out new speech sounds and patterns.
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Strengthens phonemic awareness: Linking characters, actions, and spoken words helps children notice and manipulate speech sounds — the foundation for reading and spelling.
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Encourages communication: Story Peg People invite turn-taking, role play, and conversation, supporting children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN).
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Bridges spoken and written English: As children play, they begin to connect the stories they act out with the words they see in the books, reinforcing the path from speech to print.
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Inclusive and engaging: Tactile, visual, and playful, Peg People engage children who might not respond to worksheets or more formal activities.
In short: Speech play therapy with Story Peg People helps children explore speech sounds, story language, and character voices in a way that naturally supports the 123 and Away readers, laying a strong foundation for both spoken language and literacy.
The pre-readers are also mapped, supporting orthographic mapping and ensuring that all threads of reading and spelling become connected.
Peg Play Talk Therapy (PPTT)
The Speech Sound Play 10-Day Plan must be used before starting any systematic synthetic phonics programme.
It prepares children's brains for systemtic phonics instruction by developing the speech sound awareness and phonological working memory skills they need to succeed. Once synthetic phonics lessons begin, Speech Sound Play activities should continue to be integrated across the day, outside of formal phonics sessions.
This ensures that speech, language, and communication development remains at the heart of early literacy learning.
MySpeekie® ensures that non-speaking children are included at every step of the journey, without the pressure to use spoken words or fit into systems designed for children without speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
However, you can use Peg Play Talk Therapy separate to systematic phonics, and in the early years to better support SLCN
These wooden Speekie Peeps are designed to evoke imaginative play and spark rich conversations that support early speech, language and communication development.
We use The Story People to foster connection and communication through our unique Peg Play Talk Therapy
The books offer a fantastic platform from which to support children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and those at risk of dyslexia.
Speekie Peeps!
Imaginative play is a powerful way to support early speech, language and communication. Children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are far more likely to engage when they are interested in what the adult is talking about, whether that adult is a parent, teacher or speech therapist.
One in three children start school with poor speech and language skills, making early support more important than ever. The Speekie Peeps are wooden story dolls designed to spark curiosity, evoke imaginative play and invite rich conversations.
They extend the world of The Village with Three Corners, giving children familiar characters they can play with and talk about. They can also be used to complement favourite stories or be personalised to represent the children themselves, creating meaningful and motivating opportunities to connect talk, play and early literacy.
Miss Emma developed the world’s first bi-directional word mapping tool and one-screen AAC for children who cannot (yet) read and spell. MappedWords.com
Using the Speech Sound Play 10-Day Plan to Support SLCN and Prevent Reading and Spelling Difficulties
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Before starting any synthetic phonics programme:
Speech Sound Play - the 10 Day Plan - is used to strengthen speech, language and communication skills (SLCN support) and build the phonemic awareness and phonological working memory needed to connect letters and sounds, and access phonics learning successfully.
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During KS1, outside of synthetic phonics lessons:
Speech Sound Play activities continue throughout the day, outside formal phonics lessons, ensuring ongoing support for speech, language and communication development.
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Why?
At least 1 in 3 children have SLCN, and at least 1 in 4 are at risk of reading failure under the current synthetic phonics model. Speech Sound Play is designed to meet these needs early, helping children build the communication skills they need for lifelong learning and participation — not just for phonics instruction, but for understanding, expressing themselves, and connecting with others.
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We use the Story People within Peg Play Talk Therapy, and use them with the Village with Three Corners books, and over 150 stories! to bridge speech and the written code without needing to teach phonics systematically. Learning to read, and choosing to read for pleasure, becomes the lovely by-product, but is not the goal
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The focus is on talking about the Story People and their adventures, and learning to read is simply a by-product of these rich conversations. Non-speaking children are fully included, as they can join in using MySpeekie®, which all children love and use to meet their own unique needs.
