Orthographic Interference in Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping for Phonics Teachers

Understanding the phenomenon of orthographic interference and its implications on phonics instruction is paramount for educators, especially when guiding students towards phoneme-grapheme awareness. Skilled readers, due to their proficiency and experience, have a comprehensive orthographic lexicon. This mental repository encompasses a wide array of words, including detailed insights into their orthographic and phonological aspects. Although this extensive knowledge facilitates reading fluency and comprehension, it can paradoxically act as a barrier when teaching foundational reading skills, such as phonics, to emerging readers. This summary delves into the manifestation of orthographic interference among skilled readers and its challenges in teaching phoneme-grapheme awareness, spotlighting the word "village" as an illustrative example.

'Blinded by the Letters' is a term popularised by Emma Hartnell-Baker, a distinguished trainer of thousands of phonics teachers in Australia and a doctoral student who was seemingly the first to recognise this phenomenon. She recognised that a teacher's in-depth knowledge and automatic recognition of words could obscure their ability to teach the fundamental phoneme-grapheme relationships that beginner readers need to learn. For instance, in the word "village," a skilled reader's instant recognition might prevent them from realising that the /i/ and the /a/ correspond to the same phoneme, a crucial detail for learners understanding phoneme-grapheme correspondences. Hartnell-Baker's observations revealed a significant gap in the literature on this subject, prompting her to embark on original research, including screening teachers for orthographic interference and developing targeted training to address this issue.

The impact of orthographic interference on phonics instruction cannot be overstated. Teachers, operating under the influence of their proficiency, might not fully explain or might overlook the complexities of English phoneme-grapheme relationships. This oversight can be particularly detrimental for students requiring explicit instruction and practice to develop phonemic awareness and decoding skills, such as neurodivergent learners including those with dyslexia.

Addressing orthographic interference necessitates skilled readers, particularly educators, to consciously adjust their automatic processing of language. Hartnell-Baker's work emphasises the importance of teachers developing an awareness of their cognitive processes and employing strategies to more accurately articulate the speech sounds and map words. This approach is foundational to her Speech Sound Pics (SSP) Approach, which prioritises mapping words to phonemes and visually representing those sound units with IPA aligned 'speech sound monsters'. Her training is designed to help teachers recognise and overcome their own orthographic blocks—blocks they might not have been aware of prior to the training—thereby enabling them to more effectively meet the diverse needs of their students.

Furthermore, Hartnell-Baker's contributions underscore that her training is beneficial regardless of the phonics programmes teachers use. By becoming aware of their own orthographic interference, educators can enhance their instruction, ensuring that all students, especially those with learning differences, have the support necessary to develop into skilled readers themselves. In essence, overcoming orthographic interference is not merely about refining phonics teaching; it's about fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment for every student.
 

In sum, while a vast orthographic lexicon is indicative of a teacher's reading skill, it also presents challenges in phonics education due to orthographic interference. Emma Hartnell-Baker's pioneering research and development of specific training address this critical issue, offering educators tools to mitigate its effects. Through her efforts, teachers can improve their phonics instruction, making phoneme-grapheme awareness more accessible and comprehensible to all learners, thereby bridging a vital gap in educational practice.

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When teachers embark on Ortho-Graphix training, they are introduced to an innovative approach that challenges their conventional understanding and teaching of phonics. One of the key exercises involves the pronunciation of pseudo words, a task designed to make teachers conscious of their own decoding strategies and how these might differ from the strategies they teach. This exercise also serves to illuminate the concept of orthographic interference directly, by highlighting the automaticity of their reading processes and the potential disconnect when teaching beginning readers.

Teachers are asked to engage in a reflective practice where they consider their strategies for decoding these pseudo words as if calculating responses mathematically. This analytical approach forces a break from the intuitive, experience-based reading to a more deliberate, analytical process that beginners might use.

The use of Monster Map and Drag is central to this training phase. Here, teachers physically map out graphemes (referred to as Sound Pics) and then drag the corresponding phonemes (represented by characters or 'monsters') to match with these Sound Pics. This tangible interaction with the phonemes and graphemes helps teachers visualise and understand the phoneme-grapheme relationships more clearly.

The discussion around the choice of phonemes is particularly enlightening. Teachers must articulate why they chose specific 'monsters' to represent the sounds in the pseudo words. This step is crucial because it requires teachers to externalise their thought processes, often making them aware of their implicit knowledge and assumptions about phonics. It's a moment of cognitive dissonance for many, as they realise the complexity of what they have internalised and must now explain in simple terms.

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Furthermore, the training introduces teachers to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), a tool that allows for a more precise understanding and teaching of sounds in English. Learning to access and use the IPA helps teachers move beyond the limitations of traditional phonics programmes, which often do not provide clear distinctions between similar sounds or adequately address the nuances of English phonology. By becoming proficient in the IPA, teachers can offer students a more accurate and comprehensive map of English sounds, enhancing their ability to decode and spell words independently.

This aspect of Ortho-Graphix training underscores a fundamental shift in how phonics is taught. By focusing on the teachers' understanding and their ability to critically analyse and articulate the phoneme-grapheme relationships, the training aims to equip educators with the skills necessary to more effectively meet the diverse needs of their students. The emphasis on pseudo words, mathematical strategies for decoding, and the introduction to the IPA all serve to deepen teachers' knowledge and pedagogical skills, ensuring they are not just teaching phonics but are truly enabling their students to understand and navigate the complexities of English orthography.