Left Behind by Phonics: Why Spelling is the Missing Link

Mapping speech sounds (phonemes) to graphemes (the letters or letter groups that represent them) from speech to print for spelling has a far greater impact on decoding (which is essential for reading) than decoding has on spelling.

MyWordz® tech faciliates word mapping in both directions, for ALL words of English.

In England, the primary focus is on decoding, using synthetic phonics programmes. This means children are taught to go from print to speech. The Department for Education did not evaluate the quality of bi-directional phonics. Encoding — that is, spelling — was not considered when these programmes were validated.

The Department also removed the Letters and Sounds phases that supported early phonemic awareness (Phase 1) before phonics, and the focus on spelling development (Phase 6). See: https://www.speechsoundplay.com/dfe-letters-and-sounds-ssp

As a result, even more children — especially those at risk of becoming instructional casualties — will miss out on much of what they need to become confident readers. Many continue to struggle with accurate spelling. With our new tech they can say the word into the mic and not only see the spelling but also the graphonemic stucture. A world first!

MyWordz_Tech_Smiley_Spelling.pdf

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You can often identify the children most affected by asking them to use a dictionary. They are not storing words in long-term memory and often cannot think of the first letter of a word unless it can be decoded using the limited GPCs they’ve been taught.

They may be able to recognise and write their names, but they often cannot identify the graphemes and phonemes within them. Try asking any child aged 7 or older to identify the GPCs in their own name — the word that means so much to them.

Because so many schools in England are using the 10-Day Speech Sound Play Plan in September (hooray!) before beginning their mandated synthetic phonics programme, they have asked for a stand-alone spelling site that parents can also access.

SmileySpelling.com will show parents how to better support their children. Teaching assistants can take small groups and map words using the tech. They can use any words that are useful or meaningful to the child or group. The TA learns to map alongside the child. Everyone wins.

Miss Emma Emma Hartnell-Baker The Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer®

Spelling with MySpeekie®: Spelling That Makes Us Smile

📚 References: Speech-to-Print, Spelling, and Reading Outcomes

Møller, M. S., Mortensen, M. C., & Elbro, C. (2022).The effect of teaching spelling on reading in a transparent orthography.Reading and Writing, 35, 1057–1076.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10240-7→ This study showed that teaching spelling (encoding) improves reading outcomes, even in transparent orthographies like Danish.

Redwood Literacy (2023).The Science of Reading is clear: Teach decoding and encoding together.https://www.redwoodliteracy.com/post/the-science-of-reading-is-clear-teach-decoding-and-encoding-together→ Advocates for bi-directional phonics and explains why encoding supports both reading and spelling mastery.

Reading Rockets (2022).Why spelling instruction matters.https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/spelling/articles/why-spelling-instruction-matters→ Summarises research showing how spelling reinforces the brain’s reading network and supports word recognition.

Cartwright, K. B., Duke, N. K., et al. (2021).A focus on foundational reading skills: A research-based practice guide.IES Practice Guide, Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Department of Education).https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/29→ Emphasises integrated reading and spelling instruction to strengthen decoding and fluency.