When a Grapheme Maps to Two Phonemes: Mapping the Word EDUCATION with MyWordz®

When children first begin learning phonics, they are taught that speech sounds (phonemes) map to graphemes. At the early stages, these graphemes are usually single letters that represent individual phonemes. For example, when we say the sounds in s-a-t, each phoneme is clearly articulated and remains consistent throughout.

However, it doesn’t take long before children encounter more complexity.

Take the word be. The pronunciation matches the letter name B, which can be confusing. But when we look more closely, be contains two graphemes: b and e, even though it is pronounced as a single syllable. Children are already navigating the difference between how letters are named and how they sound in words.

As they move through our four Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Apprroach Code Levels, children begin to learn new concepts, for example:

• A grapheme can consist of one or more letters. For example, eigh in eight.

• Most graphemes represent just one phoneme. For instance, the word you has two phonemes and two graphemes: y and ou.

• But now think about the letter name u and the word unicorn. In this case, u maps to two speech sounds: /y/ and /oo/.
  

This very issue came up recently when some children were mapping the word education. It’s a great example of how sometimes the number of sounds changes when graphemes are attached!

I created a short video to explain what’s happening in this word:👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjjuzM4wVvw

Mapping the word 'education' Initially there are 9 speech sound lines but then when the graphemes are added, there are 8!

Which words would you like to see mapped with an explanation? Let me know in the comments or send me a message if you’re working with a child who finds phonics confusing. We can make the code visible with MyWordz®! Miss Emma Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer