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Schools using the Speech Sound Pics

Approach are Dyslexia Friendly.

BRICKS (Bringing Research Into Classrooms 4 KidS) is a comprehensive, evidence based program that

includes phonological and phonemic awareness, explicit and systematic phonics instruction alongside child

centred inquiry learning of the alphabetic code, the development of verbal intelligence including increased

vocabulary knowledge, fluency and comprehension.

An RTI type model is used as a preventative approach in the early years, and used to get older struggling

students – who have not experienced SSP – up to grade level.

Differentiated teaching strategies are used within the first 3 weeks of Prep, after quick and easy dyslexia

screening, and continue throughout the school- which each child working at their own level. Personalised

learning strategies are incorporated so that students of any age are highly motivated, and enjoy learning

to read and write, and continue reading for pleasure independently, for life.

Within the phonemic awareness elements children learn to hear the smaller parts in spoken words, to

identify placement, to blend, segment and manipulate speech sounds and to pronounce speech sounds

more easily. They learn to spell words according to speech sounds, using lines to represent the speech

sounds – ready to make choices with regards to speech sound pics. The biggest predictor of reading and

spelling difficulties is poor phonemic awareness, which could be called ‘voice blindness’. Understanding

voice blindness is at the heart of the Speech Sound Pics approach, and is not phonics.

Activities to use relate to Speech Sound Harry, and include learning to speak in speech sounds with the

Speech Sound Family.

Within the phonics element student learn speech sound pic (phoneme/ grapheme) recognition, to blend,

segment and manipulate speech sound pics and to develop symbol and visual imagery. Their learning is

scaffolded so that decoding becomes automatic, in order to process written words fluently. The brain –

eyes – information processing system develops as follows, and is reinforced used scaffolded readers (see

images to left of SSP Book Tier.) Books include SPELD SA phonics readers, RWI, Fitzroy, Oxford, Dandelion.

PM readers are not to be used as home readers.

Children also discover the code using ‘real’ books (Speech Sound Detective activities)

Grammar and spelling is scaffolded, however children are able to edit their own work for spelling and

grammar, at their SSP level, from the Purple level.

Students follow the SSP Spelling Strategy throughout school (although the numbers are not needed past

the SSP Purple level )

Strategies are in line with the child’s needs, for example using a ‘visual’ and/ or multisensory approach

where this is most effective for that student. Learning is personalised, as SSP assessment and monitoring

tools allow parents and teachers to quickly and easily assess skills and concepts at every SSP level.

Children are assessed for poor phonemic awareness/ signs of dyslexia, within the first 3 weeks of Prep

(and assessed at the beginning of every new school year) However SSP was created for children who

struggle, so issues are prevented for ALL children, as the approach assumes all will struggle even if they

won’t. Prevention is better than cure.

Every child who is taught using this approach will be reading and spelling to ABOVE ‘grade level’ when

entering year 2. This is, in part, because children are not only taught the code systematically (with readers

used to put skills into practice) but because they are exposed to every spelling variation through

meaningful text, from the very beginning. This will dramatically change academic achievement through

the schools, and across the curriculum, and will improve student behaviour.

Please see the Speech Sound Cloud poems and songs – one for each speech sound, showing all spellings.

Children are able to cover EVERY spelling variation for every word in the English language (other than

around 50) within Prep, and then solidify their learning in year 1, using differentiated teaching. Children

reach the same place in their learning journey, but at different rates, and often using personalised tools

according to their interests, and specific learning needs eg children with autism will generally benefit from

short, intensive 1:1 brain training exercises, and especially enjoy the apps and video lessons.

Even allowing for 8 minutes of SpeedySSP Brain training (phonemic awareness and phonics) each morning

after registration (the children simply follow the videos on ipads/ laptops with earphones, at their own SSP

Level) will wire brains for reading and spelling.

Verbal intelligence is developed at all times, using a rich and varied selection of resources and tools,

including apps, games, fiction and non-fiction hard copy, online, interactive and audio books etc within

1:1, small group and whole class activities.

Fluency develops throughout the levels, so that children do not have to stop and start when reading

scaffolded readers, in order to decode orally. Choice of readers is vital. Students read silently for fluency

and comprehension, and also learn to read aloud, fluently and with expression and comprehension. SSP

encompasses as ‘dual –route’ approach to reading aloud. *

Students are able to develop visual imagery, and not rely on illustrations to gain meaning from text. They

are intentionally taught to comprehend what they have read, from the Green Level (first stage) and to

bring ‘talking in print’ to life. They problem solve, and develop higher order thinking.

Emma Hartnell-Baker, the creator of the Speech Sound Pic Approach, teaches parents and teachers how to

use specific terminology and tools, so that every child understands concepts quickly and easily. Even

changing your language helps most children eg using the phrases ‘speech sounds’ and ‘speech sound pics’

– so that children do not become confused with letters. There are 26 letters of the alphabet, however they

are irrelevant for reading and spelling, other than as a label, and children need to instead focus on their

combinations; combinations of letters that represent speech sounds, and allow us to ‘talk in print’.

If you would like to discuss the program please email Emma@ReadAustralia.com. If in Sydney November 1

and 2nd please attend one of the two SSP workshops conducted at the Learning Difference Convention.

(12 – 1pm Nov 1, 4.30 – 5.30 Nov 2nd) http://www.learningdifferenceconvention.com/

Online school pd sessions soon available, which you simply watch as a team and discuss, with options for

skype conferencing as you watch it, to ask Emma questions directly. These are aimed at parents and

educators of children aged 3-6, Prep to Year 2 and SEP teachers/ learning support who have older

students (Year 3 – 12) Videos for students available for immediate use, once you have established their

SSP starting point.

Videos for adult learners are also in the pipeline, as well as teacher training sessions, online.

The benefits of having this teacher training material is that you can go over it time and time again, bearing

in mind that there is A LOT to take in, and difficult in one sitting. There are free video lessons to download

for all students, and a wide variety will soon be available through a subscription (ideal for those who are

home schooling or who have children who are struggling, and you would like a virtual home tutor) Funds

go back into BRICKS.

This approach has also been developed for ESL and/ or Indigenous Students and Parents. Parents and

carers can learn to read and spell in English alongside their children.

Are you partnered with BRICKS, to become fully dyslexia friendly?

Prep and Year 1 Framework.

* Dual Theory

The lexical route, is the process whereby skilled readers can recognize known words by sight alone,

through a “dictionary” lookup procedure. According to this model, every word a reader has learned is

represented in a mental database of words and their pronunciations that resembles a dictionary, or

internal lexicon. When a skilled reader sees and visually recognizes a written word, he or she is then able

to access the dictionary entry for the word and retrieve the information about its pronunciation. There is

still no conclusive evidence whether the lexical route functions as a direct pathway going from visual word

recognition straight to speech production, or a less direct pathway going from visual word recognition to

semantic processing and finally to speech production.

Within SSP we give children high frequency words to learn alongside the explicit phonics teaching –

however they will learn to decode virtually every word, even if they haven’t learnt it by sight alone.

The nonlexical or sublexical route, on the other hand, is the process whereby the reader can “sound out”

a written word. The nonlexical route allows the correct reading of non words as well as regular words that

follow spelling-sound rules, but not exception words. The dual-route hypothesis of reading has helped

researchers explain and understand various facts about normal and abnormal reading.