Why getting it right in Reception matters

Emma Hartnell-Baker, developer of the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach, has been mapping words with children and teachers for over a decade. Why? Bidirectional word mapping unlocks the English alphabetic code, enabling children to use what they know about phoneme–grapheme relationships to read and spell words, and to become increasingly independent in their own learning.

The science has shown that connecting letters and sounds is vital, and that phonological recoding facilitates self-teaching, which in turn supports orthographic learning. But the how has been widely misinterpreted. Some have misunderstood how millions of children learnt to read without explicit phonics instruction, and what that tells us about the learning process. Others have treated systematic phonics instruction as though completing a prescribed sequence is the destination, rather than the starting point for independent word learning.

As Mark Seidenberg explains, explicit phonics instruction is essential, but it is not the sole way children learn the alphabetic code. It gets them started; much of the subsequent learning occurs through reading and other language use. The question is therefore not whether children need phonics, but how we ensure that each child develops the knowledge and skills needed to continue learning independently. This is at the heart of the Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach, as seen in the latest handbook.  

After more than a decade of systematic synthetic phonics in England, around one in four children still leave primary school without reaching the expected standard in reading or spelling. What is missing? Giving each child what THEY need to map words, become a self-teacher and keep learning. That means responsive teaching, accurate word mapping, access to the code when they need it, and additional support as soon as difficulty is identified, rather than waiting for children to fall behind. 

Emma divides her time between England and Australia, but is currently based in England while completing her doctoral research at the University of Reading and will therefore not be returning to Queensland until 2028.
 

Applications are invited from Prep teachers in Queensland interested in being mentored by Emma Hartnell-Baker MEd SEN for the 2028 school year. She will select one school for a year-long demonstration of the approach, beginning in January 2028.

Emma will personally mentor the selected school and spend approximately 90 minutes in a Prep classroom each morning, overseeing the activities, observing progress and demonstrating what we do with any child identified as being at high risk of reading difficulty.

The target will be for at least 90% of the cohort to be able to pass the UK Phonics Screening Check before the end of Prep and to be reading the Main Readers, with the wider goal that all children are self-teaching before Grade 2.

We would also examine whether children themselves report that they enjoy mapping words and enjoy reading before the end of Prep.

The implementation would be filmed from Day 1 so that other teachers and school leaders could see what the approach looks like in a real classroom, including how children at different Code Levels are managed simultaneously and how additional support is provided. Appropriate parental permission would therefore be required.

School leaders could be invited to observe the classroom in operation, and the resulting footage could be used for teacher training.

The purpose would be to demonstrate transparently how a teacher can manage a class of 30+ children working systematically but at their own pace, deliver the phonics and literacy learning expected within the Australian Curriculum, identify children requiring additional support early, and move children towards independent reading, spelling and writing as quickly as they are individually ready.
 

Schools interested in applying should be willing to implement the self-paced model consistently across the year, support parental permission for filming, and allow the classroom process and outcomes to be used for teacher training. The purpose is to show, from Day 1, what becomes possible when the foundations are secured in Prep: less need for later remediation, less unnecessary whole-class word-level instruction, and more children reading independently and for pleasure.

Schools and organisations are also welcome to make contact about other pilot opportunities, including projects supporting non-speaking children and children learning to map words through alternative access methods, including eye-pointing.

Emma's wider innovation work includes MySpeekie®, developed to enable non-speaking children to communicate words without needing to be able to read or spell. MySpeekie® is powered by the Ortho-GraphiX® bidirectional word-mapping algorithm and uses Phonemies®, Phonetic Symbols for Kids.

More about Emma's Innovate UK work:
https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/projects/women-in-innovation/emma-hartnell-baker/

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