Speech Sound Play with Phonemies: A Sound Start to KS1 for Non-Speaking, EAL & Neurodivergent Learners
10-day plan with MySpeekie® to develop speech sound awareness through Phonemies Play – before starting systematic synthetic phonics (SSP).
The 10 Day Speech Sound Play Plan
Speech Sound Play for SEN, Neurodivergent, EAL, and SLCN Learners
Use this 10-day plan before starting your chosen Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme to screen for dyslexia risk, strengthen phonemic awareness and phonological working memory, and support phoneme articulation. It offers targeted, early intervention for children with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN), children learning English as an additional language (EAL), and those who may not yet have identified needs in their EHCP.
This is the 10-day Speech Sound Play Plan, designed as a foundational resource for children in Reception before the introduction of a chosen Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme.
While ideal for use in classroom settings over ten consecutive days, the plan is highly flexible. When time constraints or whole-class demands are not a factor, it can—and should—be adapted for use in other settings, including at home. For younger children, or those who need a gentler pace, the plan can be delivered over a longer period and in a less structured way, ensuring accessibility and enjoyment remain at the heart of learning.
✅ Speech Sound Play Plan – Outcomes
By the end of the Speech Sound Play plan, children will have been screened for dyslexia risk and already begun targeted intervention. The plan is designed specifically to develop phonemic awareness and phonological working memory—the core foundations required for reading success. (See: Delphi Dyslexia Definition.)
Children will:
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Identify the speech sounds in spoken words they will soon build and decode using the initial GPC group (s, a, t, p, i, n)
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Begin forming those letter shapes, as well as the numbers 1–10
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Understand that spoken words are made up of speech sounds, and that we can segment those sounds using Duck Hands—a method that mirrors what is later used in phonics
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Accurately identify Speech Sound Monster sounds when given spoken words and blend them to form words
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Understand the sound value of each Phonemie and learn to “Follow the Monster Sounds to Say the Word”—developing skills to encode (spell) and decode (read) even before graphemes are introduced
For children who cannot yet articulate the speech sounds, the Phonemies Family—the Speech Sound Monsters—offers an accessible visual and auditory scaffold.
✅ Why This Approach Works
By taking a schema-driven approach to introducing the connection between letters and speech sounds, all children are engaged, included, and ready to learn phonics.
This plan helps avoid the barriers at least 1 in 4 children face when beginning phonics, particularly those related to limited phonemic awareness and weak working memory.
As a result:
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More children will pass the Phonics Screening Check—and pass it earlier
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The key challenges have already been identified and addressed
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Learners are not overwhelmed by cognitive load from trying to map sounds to graphemes without a solid auditory foundation
It is often assumed that phonics instruction, including grapheme introduction from day one, will resolve these issues. But this is not the case. Without a solid level of phonemic awareness, introducing graphemes too early can increase cognitive load—causing children to lose motivation and stop trying.