The Word Mapping Tool

/ðə wɜːd ˈmæpɪŋ tuːl/

The Word Mapping Tool extends The Code Mapping Tool, which is British English IPA aligned.

The technology we are building is called, quite simply, The Word Mapping Tool. It is being designed to align with the standards of each education jurisdiction, so teachers can check how words are expected to be mapped by their education department.

With a growing number of commercial word-mapping tools becoming available, teachers need to be able to trust that the mapping they are shown reflects what they are expected to model in their own classrooms. Most teachers would have no independent way of knowing whether a word displayed by a commercial tool has been mapped according to their jurisdictional standard, particularly when pronunciation and grapheme choices differ between jurisdictions.

Emma Hartnell-Baker is developing The Word Mapping Tool specifically around the needs of individual teachers. Teachers will be able to check any word, bidirectionally, according to the relevant jurisdictional standard, and where appropriate consider the child’s own accent.

The aim is practical: when a child needs help with a word, the teacher can Show the Code immediately and with confidence.

Every word can be mapped.
/ˈɛvri: wɜːd kən biː mæpt/

The Word Mapping Tool that align with each education department's expectations

Why Consistency and Accuracy Matter

Word mapping needs to be consistent and accurate. Teachers need to know that the phonemes and graphemes they model reflect the standard expected by their education department, rather than relying on different interpretations from different programmes, resources or commercial tools.

The Word Mapping Tool /ðə wɜːd ˈmæpɪŋ tuːl/ is designed to provide that consistency while also being used for on-the-job training. Every time a teacher checks a word, they have an opportunity to strengthen their own knowledge of bidirectional word mapping. Rather than leaving the tool to do the thinking for them, repeated use helps teachers become increasingly confident in identifying phonemes, identifying the graphemes that represent them, and moving between speech and print in either direction.

This matters in the classroom. When a child asks about an unfamiliar word, the teacher needs to be able to respond accurately and quickly. The technology provides an immediate check while developing the knowledge teachers need to Show the Code themselves.

Teachers can show the speech sounds using Phonemies®, while also seeing the corresponding phonetic symbols and hearing the sounds they represent. They do not need to know or memorise every phonetic symbol. The symbols provide a precise reference, while Phonemies® provide an accessible way to represent and work with the speech sounds. Phonemies® are also used within Speech Sound Play with children identified as being at high risk for dyslexia, and within MySpeekie®, the first one-screen AAC with a phonetic keyboard.

This means teachers can check the mapping, hear the phonemes, see how they are represented and then model the word accurately for the child. Over time, The Word Mapping Tool becomes on-the-job training as well as an immediate classroom resource.

Every word can be mapped. (/mæpt/)

Consistency across classrooms, schools and resources
Accuracy when identifying phonemes and graphemes
Alignment with education department expectations
Confidence when mapping unfamiliar words
Immediacy when a child needs support with a word
On-the-job training that develops teacher knowledge through use
Bidirectional mapping from print → speech and speech → print
Accent awareness when a child’s pronunciation differs from the expected standard
Independence from the limitations of individual phonics programmes
Any word, at any time rather than only words covered by a programme

Every word can be mapped. (/mæpt/)