Use the 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. Letters that function as graphemes in words are known as sound pictures, that is, Speech Sound Pics, and introduced early.
What is the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach?
It is system to kick-start self-teaching within the neurodiverse classroom setting
What is the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach?
A whole class approach to visual and linguistic phonics.
Video overview, for those who prefer to watch rather than to read.
The Speech Sound Pics® (SSP) Approach, originally developed in Australia by Emma Hartnell-Baker, known as Miss Emma, The Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer®, is an innovative method of teaching reading and spelling in Reception and Year 1. It makes the link between speech and print explicit and accessible.
Speedie Readies, the one to one delivery model, is now being embraced in England, particularly by those supporting neurodivergent learners.
Why was the whole class approach called the Speech Sound Pics® Approach?
Speech Sound Pics® are the “pictures of speech sounds” – the letters or letter groups (graphemes) that map to each phoneme in spoken English.
Unique Features
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Code Mapping® algorithm: Shows children which letters belong together, to represent the Universal Spelling Code, highlighting the Sound Pics® that represent each spoken sound.
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Speech Sound Monsters® (Phonemies®): Make the sound value of each grapheme unmistakably clear – a process we call Monster Mapping®.
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Mapped Words®: A trademarked feature unique to the SSP Approach that supports orthographic learning and long-term literacy. Monster Mapped Words® and Code Mapped® books can be accessed at SpeedieReadies.com including the One, Two, Three and Away! series. Non mapped versions can be ordeed by libraries through Gardners and other official book suppliers, published by The Reading Hut Ltd
Why It Works
The SSP Approach is grounded in orthographic learning and knowledge, which underpin all literacy. By “showing the code”, the appproach embraces linguistic diversity and neurodiversity, making it a neuroinclusive solution for all learners.
Support for Dyslexia and Diverse Learners
Understanding and practising the connections between speech sounds and spelling is at the heart of effective support for learners with dyslexia or other neurodivergent profiles. The focus is always on individual learning needs.
NeuroReadies: Children who learn differently need to be taught differently.
If your child has struggled to learn phonics with synthetic phonics programmes visit the Early Dysexia Screening Centre for free screening and online support.
If you are teaching phonics on a 1:1 basis, for example if your child has not yet started school, you are home educating, or you are a tutor, you don’t need to follow the 30-minute classroom routine or use all Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach activities to ensure that every child reaches the phase known as Orthographic Mapping. Simply use Path 1 of Speedie Readies to fast track the Core Code and Path 2 to explore the whole code with words that are meaningful to the child. Start the 1,2,3 and Away! series asap.
Emma Hartnell-Baker MEd SEN | Expert in Preventing the Dyslexia Paradox. Train with me at SpeedieReadies.com
If we take pictures of Speech Sounds, what might they look like, in that word?
Speech Sound Pics are graphemes. It's easier for little ones to understand the concept of letters being used to represent speech sounds in written words. It is also easier for them to understand when they can check the graphemes and phonemes for every word with the MyWordz® with MySpeekie® tech!
Quacking the Code! Mapping Speech Sounds to Speech Sound Pics
After completing the 10-day plan, children are ready for the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) approach in the classroom, or Speedie Readies on a 1:1
Aussie schools can order resources via purchase order through
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The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach
Start with the 10 Day Speech Sound Play Plan (this site)
This is SSP Phase 1 and ensures that we have screened for learning differences, and addressed the issues children laster diagnosed with dyslexia face (we get in early to prevent learning difficulties)
If you choose to move from Day 10 to the Speech Sound Pics Approach, rather than a whole class synthetic phonics programme, phonics curriculum content is taught through a 30-minute daily routine that is usually completed by the end of Reception (half the time of a synthetic phonics programme). All children are expected to recognise and blend the 100 or so Core Code GPCs within that time frame, thanks to the activities and the ability to learn at their own pace.
Within Speedie Readies this is Path 1.
The Speech Sound Pics Approach is predominantly a visual and linguistic phonics whole class approach, with a focus on understanding how to map words and how letters and sounds connect in both directions: from speech to print (spelling) and from print to speech (decoding). The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach is used across Australia.
Regardless of the synthetic phonics programme used, which is primarily print to speech with a focus on decoding, you can use Speech to Print Spelling as a separate activity with a focus on spelling. The DfE separates the two, so there is no issue running a synthetic phonics programme to teach decoding and also using Speech Sound Play (SSP) Spelling to teach encoding. Use MySpeekie® and the Monster Spelling Piano for Speech to Print Spelling in the Early Years. This ensures that linguistic and neurodiversity are embraced.
Speedy Paired Code Mapping with Monstered Sentences
A Closer Look at the SSP Coding Poster - Activity 3 within the 30 Minute Routine
They LEARN with the tech, and demonstate MASTERY using the poster.
Activity 3 of the A3 Core Code
- SSP Coding Poster: Blending the Sound Pics (Code Level GPCs).
Exploring words that are decodable to the child at their current Code Level.
Hands-on routines build automaticity through spaced repetition.
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1 Phonemic Awareness Activity – 60–90 secs
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2 Sound Pic Formation & Recognition – 60–90 secs
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3 Blending of Code Level Sound Pics – 90 secs
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4 Chants – 90 secs
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5 High-Frequency Words (HFWs) – 2 mins
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6 Code Level Sentences (Sound Pics + HFWs) – 2 mins
Designed by the Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer to embrace linguistic and neurodiversity. This is schema-driven phonics learning
Letting children do more themselves! Less teaching, more learning.
Children love being in charge of their own learning pace and doing more than listening. The goal of the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach is to make children far more independent—and to help them enjoy just getting on with it!
The ICRWY tech and tools allow each child to systematically and explicitly learn the expected phonics and high-frequency word content in much less time. Over 90% are out of the core code phase, and can easily pass the PSC, before they start Year 1. It’s so much easier to teach this way. Teachers are freed up to check in with individual children, and when a relief teacher steps in, the children just follow the familiar routines. Children can do it at home - eg if there are school closures, or the child is unable to attend.
Children need supervision and support. A good TA can supervise, freeing up teachers to work 1 on 1 with children or hear them read. We get the GPC recognition and blending work done and dusted quickly, so that children can focus on reading about what interests them. Add in Path 2 of Speedie Readies to focus on reading fluency and comprehension. Let's that be our goal moving forwards: every child excited about reading and spelling!
Phase 2 in Classrooms Starts after Speech Sound Play with Phonemies (the 10 Day Plan)
The 30-Minute Phonics Routine begins:
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5 minutes – Solo or Paired Decoding
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5–8 minutes – Coding Poster Lesson (ICRWY Lessons app)
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10–15 minutes – Coding Poster (using an A3 coding poster to include the HFW section):
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60–90 secs – Phonemic awareness activity
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60–90 secs – Sound Pic (grapheme) formation and recognition
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90 secs – Blending of Code Level Sound Pics
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90 secs – Chants
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120 secs – High-frequency words
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120 secs – Code Level Sentences (Sound Pics with HFWs)
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Additional Word Mapping Mastery activities are gradually introduced, including:
Also do these activities at home, or as an intervention for those who struggled to learn phonics with a synthetic phonics programme.
This is an easier way for autistic children to learn to decode as it makes more sense to pattern seeking brains.
