Sound It Out for Me

Dyslexia risk factors include ineffective speech sound processing and poor phonological working memory, which makes learning with synthetic phonics programmes very difficult for at least one in four children. This method is mandated by the DfE, so teachers have no choice. We can, however, show children what they are missing from instruction.

If a child like Rex (Stacey and Joe's son) is reading a home reader and cannot figure out a word, by sounding it out, the MyWordz® technology already has a solution: type the letters and click Check Mapping, or type the Phonemies to hear the word. But in the moment children need something even quicker. With the planned Word Mapper app, they can scan the page of their book and click on the exact words they need. They will see the letters that go together, called graphemes (we call them Sound Pic®s), and the sound values for those letters, then blend the sounds to read the word.

This is not a quick fix that simply tells them the word, and doesn't re-route dyslexia. The Word Mapper will prevents the risk of getting inaccurate information from well-meaning parents or TAs who have not been trained in Word Mapping Mastery®. 

The app reveals the letters and sounds they have not learnt, not understood, or will never be taught in school. Parents often struggle to understand how letters and sounds connect too, and can feel helpless when their child says they don't know how to sound it out. I talk about who inspired the idea here.

The Word Mapper will be a game changer for children at risk of dyslexia or already diagnosed, as it addresses issues with phonemic awareness and phonological working memory. Children can use the app in the classroom or at home, anywhere they have a book to read, without feeling embarrassed or needing to ask for help. Maybe it could help Joe understand what his teachers missed:-)