Reading and spelling start with a simple idea: matching the sounds (phonemes) we say to the letters we see. This speech sound mapping is taught through phonics, but phonics can get confusing as there isn’t a one-to-one link between letters and sounds.

That’s why we use Phonemies.
 

There are 48 Phonemies. Each one represents the expected phoneme (or combination of phonemes) that children are taught to hear in phonics and assign to graphemes (letter combinations). All English words, except one and once, can be mapped using Sound Pics® (graphemes) and Phonemies (phonemes).
 

A Phonemie is a single sound tile, even when that phoneme is made up of more than one speech sound. Some graphemes represent more than one phoneme. For example, the grapheme x.
 

Our word mapping technology is the only tool in the world that shows children exactly which letters go together in a word, identifying the graphemes and the sound each part is expected to map with when learning phonics. It helps every child make sense of how written words work. At the same time, it strengthens phonemic awareness and phonological working memory. Children can explore any word, which builds curiosity and expands vocabulary.
 

Most sentences in the texts children read or write include multiple sound–spelling correspondences that are never explicitly taught in phonics programmes. They have to deduce or guess. That can result in errors and create confusion. This is why showing all correspondences is so powerful. Some children begin to self-teach earlier, navigating the full code. For example, they might discover the nine different phonemes the letter a can represent, not just the one in apple! But all children benefit from being shown the code.
 

Our MyWordz® tech makes this possible at the click of a button.

We are excited to be mapping the Village with Three Corners series so that children can work through 150 stories and secure the whole code in their brain word bank. The stories gradually increase in length and complexity, culminating in short stories with chapters. By the end of the series, children become confident, independent readers who love to read. These beloved characters have brought joy for decades, often through play with peg dolls. Now, they can also kickstart the reading journey in a way that avoids reading difficulties and embraces both linguistic and neurodiversity. 

The best way to get started with children in the early years and KS1 is by using the 10 Day Plan. This is just as important for the adults supporting children as it is for the children themselves. Even mapping their own names can create confusion for teachers, so building confidence and clarity from the start is key. Most skilled readers, for a range of reasons, struggle to map words that include correspondences not taught in the Core Code. The Core Code are the grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs) introduced through synthetic phonics programmes and assessed in the Phonics Screening Check (PSC). This is only around a third of the Whole Code. Start by identifying the letters and expected phonemes for the names of your family members. Use Map and Drag to show us! Every letter is used. Unsure? Get in touch and we will show you the correctly mapped name/s! Understanding how difficult it is for adults to map all words is the best starting point for anyone supporting children in their word mapping (phonics) learning journey.