'Word Mapping Mastery®' 

Explicit instruction plays a vital role in the early stages of reading development, drawing attention to the structure of the writing system and laying the foundation for further learning. However, as children progress, implicit learning becomes increasingly important. This transition allows learners to internalise patterns and self-teach through exposure to language. Overemphasis on explicit instruction beyond its initial purpose can hinder progress, failing to account for the role of implicit, self-generated learning. This is a concept easier to understand when you watch children independently exploring words, and moving into the self-teaching phase. 
 

Despite the growing focus on the 'science of reading,' popular curricula for school-aged children often misinterpret research by overemphasising explicit phonics for all and intensive phonemic awareness drills as a precursor to phonics instruction. The interactive relationship with print must be fostered. Visible Phonics (Speech Sound Pics) Approach teachers introduce the 'pictures of the sounds' towards the end of the first week. However, thanks to the Phonemies, children are also able to develop phonological working memory, blending words with multiple phonemes without needing to wait until they learn the graphemes. There are no restrictions on the phonemes to be blended, unlike with 'print to speech' learning. In the Green Code Level, children are limited to graphemes such as s, a, t, p, i, n, which restricts longer words to examples like pants or spits. However, using the Speech Sound Monsters, children can blend much longer words, such as the 13-phoneme word physiotherapists, as demonstrated above.

Similarly, placing excessive emphasis on explicit phonics instruction, teaching rules and memorisation, risks overshadowing broader literacy goals. Brains prefer to discover how things work, and to do so with as little 'instruction' as possible.  

Skilled 'Word Mapping Mastery' guides understand the need to balance explicit instruction with opportunities for implicit learning, adapting as children gain proficiency. This approach ensures that children develop the ability to generalise and apply their learning in diverse contexts. For instance, phoneme-grapheme mapping should not be confined to isolated tasks but integrated across various reading and writing activities.

Another challenge lies in addressing linguistic variability, such as regional accents, within standardised phonics curricula. Teachers may face difficulties reconciling these differences, which highlights the need for more nuanced guidance and training. This is the focus of Emma Hartnell-Baker's doctoral research! 
 

Ultimately, literacy development relies on statistical learning, a process through which children implicitly detect patterns in language. This mechanism, which begins in infancy with spoken language, continues as children engage with written language. Phonemies help children engage earlier, and address phonemic awareness challenges. While explicit instruction initiates this pattern seeking process, most learning occurs implicitly, reinforcing the importance of creating a rich and supportive literacy environment. Synthetic phonics in the UK makes learning to read far more difficult than it needs to be, especially for neurodivergent learners. 
 

In summary, effective literacy instruction should integrate phonemic awareness with print knowledge, balance explicit and implicit methods, and consider linguistic variability to ensure equitable and efficient learning for all children. Addressing these elements can help bridge the gap between research and practice, improving literacy outcomes and supporting diverse learners.   

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Emma Hartnell-Baker has a Masters Degree in Special Educational Needs and is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Reading.