Understanding the Program

The Visual Phonics program is a phonemic awareness program that integrates

hand prompts
oral motor (location of the sound production)
written symbols (*as shown below for each consonant)

Visual phonics is a multi-sensory program. The written symbols were created

to help deaf children develop speech. The symbols closely resemble the hand

prompts and the motor production of each sound. This allows children to

associate the production of the sound, the symbol, and the letter. The program provides sounds to be concrete and tangible for phonemic awareness. With this association, this Visual Phonics program has been shown to assist children with reading skills. Visual Phonics is a Phonics program. Listed on the Home page is an additional research article related to Visual Phonics as a reading strategy.

Visual Phonics is a way to show and experience individual letter sounds. Each letter sound has specific characteristics or Distinctive Features. These features are present in every sound and contribute to pre reading/reading skills.

Distinctive Features: specific aspects of sound that distinguish one sound from another sound, including an awareness of
sound or phonemic awareness. A few distinctive features include sound location, voicing, and sound duration.

1. Sound Location: Sounds are produced within the mouth regarding location of lips, tongue, teeth, and throat.

The Visual Phonics program focuses on consonant sounds. We have separated the consonant into their sound groups as follows:

Lip Sounds (B, M, P, W): These sounds are made with the lips; touching lips, popping lips, and tightening lips together. Expected to be mastered by 2.5 to 3 years of age.

Tongue Tapping Sounds (D, T, N): These sounds are made by lifting the tongue tip up and tapping the roof of the mouth behind the top teeth. Expected to be mastered by 4 years of age.

Throat Sounds (C, K, Q, G): These sounds are made in the back of the throat, like a gargling or clicking sound. Expected to be mastered by 4 years of age.

Overbite Sounds (F, V): These sounds are made by placing the top front teeth on the lower lip and blowing. F expected to be mastered by 4 years of age. V expected to be mastered by 6 years of age.

Tongue Up Sounds (L) : These sounds are made by holding the tongue tip up to the roof of the mouth, behind the front top teeth. Expected to be mastered by 6 years of age.

Thin Friction Sounds (S, X, Z): These sounds are made by creating a thin “friction” sound. Teeth are closed and the sound is “pulled” from the mouth. Expected to be mastered by 6 years of age.

Thick Friction Sounds (Ch, J, Sh): These sounds are made by creating a thicker “friction” sound. Lips and teeth work together to create the thick friction sound. Sh expected to be mastered by 4 years of age. Ch and J expected to be mastered by 7 years of age.

Tongue Out Sounds (Th): This sound is made by sticking the tip of the tongue in between the top and bottom teeth and blowing air out. Expected to be mastered by 7 years of age.

"R" Sound (R): This sounds are made by “rolling” the sound from the back of the mouth, elevating and bunching the tongue. Expected to be mastered by 8 years of age.

"Hot" Sound (H): This sound is made by opening the mouth and blowing air from the back of the mouth. Expected to be mastered by 2.5 to 3 years of age.

"Yeah" Sound (Y): This sound is made by resting the tongue on the floor of the mouth, then saying “E”… and lowering the jaw. It is called the “Yeah” sound since most children can produce the word yeah but may have trouble producing a y elsewhere. Expected to be mastered by 4 years of age.

2. Voice: Sounds are different by voicing. Are the vocal chords activated or not?

Some sounds are voiced and others are voiceless. This refers to whether the voice is turned “on” or “off” while a sound is being produced. Note: You can feel the voice is on if you feel vibrations at your throat while producing a voiced sound.

For example:

Voiced Voiceless

B P

D T

Z S

3. Sound Duration Sounds can be continuous (long) or quick (short).

Continued sounds; s, sh, x, z

Quick sounds; b, ch, d, g, j, k, p, t

*Written Symbols Chart not available on mobile device

b h n t z

c j p v ch

d k q w sh