Sounds~Write is so effective in teaching our pupils to read, spell and write because it starts from what all children know from a very early age – the sounds of their own language. From there, it takes them in carefully sequenced steps how each of the 43 or so phonemes (sounds) can be spelt.
The words used in the teaching process and the conceptual knowledge of how the alphabet code works are both introduced from simple to complex, in accordance with the fundamental principles of psychological learning theory. For example, at the start, simple, mutually implied (one sound, one spelling) one-syllable CVC words only are introduced.
As the programme progresses, the complexity of one-syllable words is increased through a variety of VCC, CVCC, CCVC, CCVCC, and CCCVC words before dealing with the most common consonant digraphs (<sh>, <ch> and <th>, for example), followed by the vowel digraphs and, finally, how to read and spell polysyllabic words.
All of this is taught within a well-structured and coherent framework based on the knowledge – conceptual and factual – on which the alphabet principle is based, and the three key skills needed to enable learners to use the principle effectively.
Our approach teaches the conceptual understanding needed to become an effective reader:
Within this conceptual framework, we teach the factual knowledge required to become an effective reader and speller: the approximately 176 symbols that represent the 43 or so sounds in English, starting with the most simple one-to-one correspondences.
Reading and spelling also requires expertise in the skills necessary to make use of the alphabet code and pupils need to be able to: