The Complexity of English Spelling

In this episode, we’ll discuss an approach to teaching foundational skills known as speech to print. The speech to print approach consists of 4 concepts with consistent logic: 

1. Letters spell sounds (alphabetic principle) 
2. Sounds can be represented by one or more letters 
3. Sounds can be spelled different ways
4. Spellings can be pronounced in different ways 

What is the difference between speech to print and a traditional print to speech approach? What does the speech to print approach look like in practice? What does the research say about this approach?  

Resources

• Triple R Teaching Podcast related episodes:
  • Print to speech vs Speech to print: What’s the difference?
  • How to add speech to print elements to your phonics instruction 
• Reading Simplified
• PhonicBooks 
• Evidence Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI)
• Phonics: Speech to Print vs Print to Speech Webinar
• The Seidenberg and McClelland (1989) model of visual word recognition
• International Dyslexia Association Fact Sheet on Phoneme Awareness 
• The Latest Research (And Debate) on Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Instruction by Susan Brady 
• Speech to Print or Print to Speech: What's the difference?  blog, by Tami Reis-Frankfort, Phonic Books
• Why Our Children Can't Read and What We Can Do About It,  book, Diane McGuinness
• Stanislas Dehaene: Book,

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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