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Phonics Reform England: Not reading reform. Phonics reform. Improving phonics for the one in five at risk of struggling to read and spell.
The Phonics Pronunciation Code
When we ask for the programme PPC (Phonics Pronunciation Code), we are asking for the expected grapheme–phoneme correspondences as they are blended within the word. This makes the phoneme and grapheme arrays visible in context, rather than in isolation. If the word is then said differently, for example due to accent or variation in pronunciation, the phoneme array has changed, and this affects how the graphemes are understood. Each person has their own PPC, which can be different to the programme PPC. The helps teachers and learners n see exactly how speech and print are being connected in that moment. In this context, “array” refers to the full set of graphemes and phonemes in a word. This also makes visible how each a phonics programme represents the print-speech system, including which correspondences are taught and how pronunciation is modelled.
The SSP Programme's Standardised
Phonics Pronunciation Code may differ from the child's
Exploring the Phonics Pronunication Code (PPC) through word mapping works for individuals because it makes their own phoneme–grapheme mapping visible.
We are developing a guide that sets out each programme’s PPC (Phonics Pronunciation Code), showing the expected phonemes for graphemes that are explicitly taught within that programme. This makes visible how each programme represents the speech–print system, including which correspondences are taught, how they are organised, and how pronunciation is modelled. If there is a 'letter sounds' guide provided by a synthetic phonics programme we will show it.
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The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a universal system used to represent the sounds of spoken language, with each symbol corresponding to a specific phoneme. This allows speech to be recorded accurately and consistently, regardless of accent or spelling.
When phonetic symbols are used we can also record, or map out, how they are changed by the teacher, or child, as a diagnostic tool.
We believe that everyone involved in teaching or supporting phonics should have a working understanding of the IPA, as it directly relates to how speech is connected to print. To support this, we are developing an on-demand course that can be booked at any time, enabling teachers, teaching assistants, tutors, and parents to build confidence in using the IPA to support accurate word mapping.
This example shows how the word is is being decoded using PPC analysis. The grapheme array <i> <s> is identified, followed by the expected phoneme array /ɪ/ /z/, represented using phonetic symbols. The produced phoneme array is then shown as /ɪ/ /s/, before the final spoken word /ɪz/. In this case, the child, or a teacher being trained in PPC awareness, has recognised the graphemes correctly but produced /s/ for <s>, saying iss (to rhyme with hiss) during blending, before shifting to the correct spoken word is. This reveals a discrepancy between the expected and produced phoneme arrays. Although the correct word is ultimately recognised, the phoneme structure linked to the graphemes has not been securely established. This is important to notice and discuss, as it highlights a mismatch in how the code is being applied and understood.
For children to store words securely, the speech sounds (phonemes), spelling (graphemes), and meaning must bond in the brain’s word bank. If this bonding does not occur, there can be a breakdown in the statistical learning of the alphabetic code. A child may appear successful in the moment, saying the word correctly, but without a secure phoneme–grapheme link, they may later spell it based on how it sounds to them, such as writing iz for is, or woz for was. This shows that accurate word recognition alone is not enough. The underlying structure of the word must be established so that it can be stored and retrieved reliably for both reading and spelling. This is at the heart of the IPA Word Mapping Mastery® system.
“Phonics is only effective when speech sounds, spelling, and meaning are securely bonded, enabling words to be stored and retrieved for both reading and spelling."
What that means in practice
An individual can:
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take a word they struggled with
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map:
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graphemes
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expected phonemes
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what they actually said / thought
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see where it shifted
👉 That’s immediate insight.
👉 and immediate change in how they approach the next word.
With good phonemic awareness the word is stored in the brain word bank (the orthographic lexicon)
Emma Hartnell-Baker MEd SEN
Join us. We are the Upstream Team.
👉 “We analyse words together and learn how the code actually works for each learner”
The Accent Gap in Phonics: Whose Sounds Are We Mapping?
There are simple ways to introduce four-year-olds to the concepts of speech sounds, graphemes, and the idea that their accent may differ from the phonics programme PPC. I show home educating parents and reception teachers how to do this over 10 days, while also screening for dyslexia risk and developing phonemic awareness before introducing a synthetic phonics programme. By day five, children are introduced to graphemes s a t p i n and start decoding and encoding words like ant, tan, pin, nip, sit, Stan, snap etc.
The focus is on making complex ideas accessible, especially for children who do not use Received Pronunciation or who may be at higher risk because of weak phonemic awareness on school entry. As do most early years teachers I use songs, rhymes and stories to support understanding and engagement, and have developed a set of IPA-aligned phonetic symbols for children, called Phonemies. Once the Speech Sound Monsters are introduced, within the Speecch Sound Play Plan, these can be used separate to synthetic phonics to explore word mapping across all grades.
When we launch the community group, we look forward to hearing from others. How do you navigate shifts in the “P” or "G" within GPCs or PGC when decoding and encoding?
Analysing the Code Through Word Mapping
Word mapping with attention to the PPC allows parents, children and teachers to analyse how the code is being applied and use that insight to inform support.
For some children, this may not be necessary, as their brains figure it out. However, for at least 1 in 4, phonics is essential. It is a vital approach designed to systematically connect letters and sounds in a way that enables children to quickly use that mapping in real reading and writing. This is why a group of GPCs is initially introduced, for example s a t p i n.
The Assumption of Fixed GPCs
However, there is an assumption that these GPCs are fixed. Children who learned to read and spell without phonics instruction did not start with parts of words. They started with whole words and worked backwards, bonding letters and sounds in their own accent, even if it varies considerably from the universally accepted phonics pronunciation code, for example a for /æ/ in ant.
Phonics is an attempt to recreate what many children learn to do without it, but in order to do that, it has to be standardised. That is what we see in phonics programmes.
A Bridge Between Phonics and Self-Teaching
My theory is that we can do this and meet the needs of all through a bridge. That bridge is word mapping, using a more analytical approach by identifying the child’s phonemes with the child. In many cases, this results in two separate GPC arrays.
Over time, children begin to do this themselves, as described in Share’s Self-Teaching Hypothesis, but here it is scaffolded.
Supporting Self-Teaching
The goal of word mapping is to support self-teaching. This happens through the act of connecting speech (phonemes), spelling (graphemes) and meaning so that they bond securely.
The Role of the IPA
There needs to be an awareness of a shared reference for the code, such as the IPA, and why it was created. The International Phonetic Alphabet was developed to provide a consistent way of representing speech sounds, so that the same phoneme can be identified and discussed regardless of spelling or accent. I have designed a system that is used in the same way, but that replaces IPA phonetic symbols with Phonemies (Phonemes with an i)
This helps everyone see the grapheme and phoneme correspondences and how allow everyone (regardless of accent) to get to the word in either direction, from speech to print and from print to speech.
The Role of the Speaker
As teachers, we need to consider our own phonemes, especially when modelling. The “P” can shift according to the speaker, which can in turn change the grapheme boundary.
It is far more likely that it is the bond between our own phonemes, graphemes and meaning that supports long-term storage, following an effective kick-start of phonics. We take this kick-start very seriously.
An Under-Explored Area of Research
The issue of how phonemes are assigned and how this interacts with accent is an under-explored area of research that I am currently pursuing.
Emma Hartnell-Baker
