The Sounds-Write Podcast

In the twenty-fifth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Naomi Hinton talks about the 2025 Phonics Screening Check that has just been administered to Year 1 students in England. She gives an analysis of the words on the check and then talk about the next steps for teachers in supporting students and reflecting on their own practice. Some helpful links: Blog post - The Phonics Screening Check 2025:...

In the twenty-fourth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Tita Beaven gives us a sneak peek at just a few of the 30+ talks that will play at Phonics Interventions: A Sounds-Write Symposium.  Some helpful links: Get your Sounds-Write Symposium ticket https://symposium.sounds-write.co.uk/ Sounds-Write's Facebook Sounds-Write's Instagram Sign up to our mailing list

In the twenty-third episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Laila Sadler talks about the Phonics Screening Check and what educators can do to maximise the weeks leading up to the Check. Some helpful links: The Sounds-Write Membership Episode 8: Literacy Interventions with Jacinda Vaughan Sounds-Write's Facebook Sounds-Write's Instagram Sign up to our mailing list

In the twenty-second episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Miriam Fein and Sherry Cramer discuss their roles and experience, the partnerships between parents and different education professionals in a struggling reader's life and talk about speech-to-print and how it's affected their practice. Some helpful links: AET website Sounds-Write's Facebook Sounds-Write's Instagram Sign...

In the twenty-first episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Ilona Sydney-Jones discusses the ins and outs of using Sounds-Write with high school students, the importance of supporting older learners with literacy and the specific adaptations she makes when using Sounds-Write with these learners. Enjoy! Some helpful links: SPELDSA Train with SPELDSA Base Camp article by John Walker Sounds-Write's...

In the twentieth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Caroline Hardisty is back to give plenty of helpful and practical advice for teaching polysyllabic words. Caroline discusses the rationale behind why we introduce polysyllabic words from simple to complex and in an explicit way, how to syllabify words, and how to implement differentiation techniques with polysyllabic word lessons. Enjoy! Some h...

In the nineteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Donna Smith is back to give plenty of helpful and practical advice for Phonics Leads. This episode comes in celebration of the recent release of our Phonics Lead Handbook, a brilliant (and free!) resource that will be any Phonics Lead's guide to all things Sounds-Write. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Access the Phonics Lead Handbook and many...

In the eighteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Helen Hampton talks about implementing Sounds-Write in small, rural schools. She discusses how to get started with Sounds-Write in this setting, how to maximise your resources and how to teach phonics to mixed-age classes. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Sounds-Write's Free Resources Sounds-Write's Australian Shop Train with Helen Sounds-...

In the seventeenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Alex Bedford and Julie Sherrington talk about their recently released book 'EYFS: Language of Learning'. Alex and Julie are both experienced and passionate educators. They discuss the importance of language development, the impact of the pandemic on children's language and how to put their brilliant handbook into practice. Enjo...

Welcome to episode 3 of Nuggets of Language Nerdiness by The Sounds-Write Podcast! Do you know the difference between a language, a pidgin and a creole? What would a writing system look like if it could convey tone of voice and stress? What are false cognates? Join us as we explore these questions and more in this episode. Enjoy! Some helpful links and sources: Visit our website Sign up to our mai...

In the sixteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Kirsty Gibbs talks about all things business. Kirsty is an experienced businesswoman in the tutoring industry. In this episode, she lays out her top tips for growing a thriving tutoring business. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Kirsty's podcast episode with Jacinda and Alison Kirsty's podcast Kirsty's website Kirsty's free resour...

Welcome to episode 2 of Nuggets of Language Nerdiness by The Sounds-Write Podcast! What can we find out about towns and cities based on their suffixes and etymology? Why are some words spelt differently in US-English? And what's the difference between homonyms and polysemous words? Enjoy! Some helpful links and sources: Visit our website Sign up to our mailing list Like us on Facebook Follow...

In the fifteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Jacinda Vaughan is back and answering listeners' questions about teaching phonics in intervention settings. She covers a range of topics including making adaptations for English Language Learners, correcting articulation, accent variation and much more. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Jacinda's first podcast appearance Shop the Reading Tog...

Welcome to this bonus mini-episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast! In this short episode, the host shared three nuggets of language nerdiness. Why do we sometimes spell the sound /r/ as < wr >? What do the words punch, shampoo and bungalow all have in common? And what are contronyms? Enjoy! Some helpful links and sources: Root word 'wer' Examples of the < wr > spelling of /r/ Pu...

In the fourteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast Kelly Cross talks about her son, Freddie's, journey to becoming a proficient reader and speller. Freddie has Moderate Learning Difficulties and Kelly struggled to find the help that he needed to learn to read and write. Since finding Sounds-Write, Freddie has gone on to become the avid reader his parents always knew he could be. Enjoy! Som...

In the thirteenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast we hear from Gemma Pierson, headteacher at Princecroft Primary School in Warminster, UK. Gemma discusses the literacy strategy that Princecroft have implemented across the school and talks about how her team cultivate a love of reading amongst their student. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Princecroft Primary School's website Gemma's Twitt...

In the twelfth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast Donna Smith, one of Sounds-Write's In-House Trainers, gives advice and guidance for parents and carers of children who are being taught phonics. She gives an overview of what Sounds-Write is and how best to support students who are learning to read and spell. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Help Your Child to Read and Write course Bruce Robertson&...

In the eleventh episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Sounds-Write's Business Manager for the US and Canada, Jill Nunez, talks about the future of phonics in the US. She discusses the spread of phonics in North America, some of the challenges we’re facing as we expand to the US, and how to advocate for an evidence based literacy programme in your school.  Enjoy! Some helpful links: Sold a Stor...

In the tenth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast two of the most prominent champions of speech to print phonics, Nora Chahbazi and John Walker, discuss their strikingly similar backgrounds in the world of phonics, the similarities and difference between their approaches and, of course, speech to print. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Sounds-Write Symposium on Speech to Print EBLI's website Episode...

In the ninth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Sounds-Write's Head of Research and Development, Dr. Anna Comas-Quinn, talks about the trials and tribulations of conducting research in the field of phonics. She talks through some of the research that Sounds-Write has conducted, what we can learn from that and why context is essential when evaluating schools' results.  Enjoy! Some helpf...

In the eight episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Sounds-Write's newest in-house trainer, Jacinda Vaughan, talks about literacy interventions. She discusses the difference between 'keep up' and 'catch-up' interventions and gives some really practical guidance for setting up intervention sessions for struggling readers. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Pre-register for the Sounds...

In the seventh episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, John Walker talks about the past 20 years of Sounds-Write. He discusses some of the highs and lows and talks about the future of Sounds-Write. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Pre-register for the Sounds-Write Practitioners' Portal! Sounds-Write's Facebook Sounds-Write's Instagram Sign up to our mailing list What is Sounds-Write podcast...

In the sixth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, trainer Caroline Hardisty gives advice for schools who are new to Sounds-Write. She gives tips for practitioners who are just starting out, and discusses some of the considerations when implementing Sounds-Write as a whole-school approach.  Enjoy! Some helpful links: Sounds-Write's Facebook Sounds-Write's Instagram Sign up to our mailing...

In the fifth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, Alison Perry and John Walker discuss all-things speech pathology.  Alison talks about the intersection of her work as a speech therapist and as a Sounds-Write trainers. She talks about her passion for teaching and the joy of teaching children to read. Enjoy! Some helpful links: Alison's website John's Twitter John's blog Learn more a...

In the fourth episode of The Sounds-Write Podcast, John Walker discusses the sound to print approach to teaching reading and writing. He talks about the rationale behind using this orientation, how this approach differs to print to sound methods and the results we’ve seen from schools using the sound to print approach. Listen to the end of the episode for an exciting sneak peak into one of our upc...