The Speech Sound Code

Every Phonemie in the Speech Sound Monster Family helps children by articulating speech sounds they may not yet be able to produce themselves.
 

Each Phonemie (Speech Sound Monster) gives a clear visual form to a sound in spoken English, allowing children to understand, recognise and work with sounds even when they cannot say them out loud.

For children who are non-speaking, whether due to communication differences, developmental needs or personal choice, every Phonemie provides a way to show the sound they are thinking of.

Children can point to a Phonemie to express the sound they want to use. This supports spoken language development and allows children to take part in communication without pressure.

Phonemies do more than represent speech sounds. The Phonemies makes the Speech Sound Code visible and accessible, helping children communicate, read and spell in ways that are non-pressured, emotionally supportive and led by the child. Children are free to explore sounds without needing to speak or get it right straight away. Their communication efforts are always recognised and respected.

The Speech Sound Monsters represent The Speech Sound Code, a universal system of speech sounds that is also represented by the International Phonetic Alphabet. They offer a consistent way to represent the sounds of English, even when accents vary. The visual characters may change slightly to reflect accent differences, but the underlying code remains the same. 

This makes them ideal for children learning English as an additional language, as well as for children with speech, language and communication needs. The Phonemies help all children connect spoken sounds to written words in a clear, engaging and consistent way.