Letters and Sounds Phase 1 with Phonemies: A Sound Start to KS1 for Non-Speaking, EAL & Neurodivergent Learners
10-day plan with MySpeekie® to develop speech sound awareness through Phonemies Play – before starting systematic synthetic phonics (SSP).
Learning the 4 SSP Code Levels
This is an option for learning the 4 Code Levels in Reception, to get phonics instruction out of the way quickly and easily, so that children can move into the self-teaching phase and focus on reading fluency and comprehension. SSP here refers to the Speech Sound Pics Approach. We used that abbreviation before 'SSP' became widely used in England, when it was simply called 'synthetic phonics', not 'systematic synthetic phonics'!
Start the Phase 2 Thirty Minute Routine after Phase 1 with Phonemies.
The Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach
View clips and more info on the WordMappingMastery.com site
Letting go of front-of-the-class synthetic phonics instruction. 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 synthetic phonics 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—not traditional 'teaching' as such. A good TA can supervise, freeing up teachers to work 1 on 1 with children or hear them read. As we did in the good old days! We get the GPC recognition and blending work done and dusted quickly, so that children can focus on reading about what interests them. Let's that be our goal moving forwards: every child excited about reading!
Miss Emma MEd SEN
Phase 2 (Starts after Phase 1 with Phonemies)
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 activities are gradually introduced, including:
Follow the Monster Sounds to Say the Word!