When the Time Is Right: How Children Naturally Discover the Code with MyWordz®

When children use the MyWordz® tech to map words, they start from what they already know - how to spell using sounds. When ready, they begin to notice the letters that map to the sounds. They are not learning about digraphs, for example, through explicit instruction!

Take Avery, for example. He wanted to map the word phone. When the tech showed him the word, he was surprised to see a p at the beginning. He thought the frog had made a mistake! This was a key moment.

Avery said the word and was shown the spelling : phone (no mapping)

I often illustrate this concept by drawing a square, then a triangle. When I draw a triangle on top of a square, 99% of children tell me it’s now a house. They understand that shapes can combine to become something new. In the same way, they can understand that p (as in pin) and h (as in hat) can combine as ph in this word to represent /f/.

After this realisation, Avery went straight to the Speech Sound Wall to find the spelling cloud for /f/. He identified the /ph/ spelling and then checked again by typing the word in sounds to see the mapping for himself.

Avery looks for that 'Sound Pic' (ph) in the Spelling Cloud. He has a Speech Sound Wall at home.

Avery types the words in speech sounds using Phonemies

He now sees the mapping!

You can watch this learning moment here!

Avery discovers a new concept! The SSP phonics chant strip is shown here, and the SSP spelling clouds.

This is such a natural way for children to discover how words are mapped. There’s no pressure, no forced lesson - just a moment of readiness and curiosity. He understood the concept because the timing was right for him.

This process is much harder in a traditional classroom setting. Some children aren't ready, while others already know it. That’s why it’s more effective to ensure they learn the core code during the 30-minute session, then allow them to explore words that are relevant to their reading or writing at that moment - when it actually matters to them.

The tech supports this beautifully. Children aren’t told the answer; they discover it. And once they do, they feel an enormous sense of independence and accomplishment. There are lots of smiles! Miss Emma The Neurodivergent Reading Whisperer® #smileyspelling