top of page

FONEMZ Speak & Read: Speech and Literacy Learning Made Fun

At FONEMZ, we've simplified the path to language proficiency. Here's why our approach works:

 

Engaging Simplicity: Color excites. People love tactile experiences. Most children learn through sight. We remember what we experience. When we see, hear, touch, and do something, we remember better and longer.

A Fun, Engaging Approach:

No need for teachers to memorize anything before using FONEMZ®.

Learners can start with no prior knowledge. Our program works for students with various needs, including those with speech, language, phonemic awareness, hearing, and social challenges.

  • FONEMZ is a Universal Design for learning.

  • FONEMZ caters to visual/kinesthetic learners. Instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and multi-sensory, ensuring success.

  • FONEMZ is: Colorful, Shapely, and Fun. Everyone will enjoy the experience of learning.

  • FONEMZ should be: Touched, Played with, Controlled by the student, and Used in diverse settings.

A Holistic, Multimodal Learning Approach:

Enhanced Language Skills

FONEMZ leverages color, shape, touch, and movement to enhance memory, engagement, and language awareness. It's a holistic, interactive, and multimodal program that builds speech sound production, phonemic awareness, and literacy skills. By engaging the entire mind and body, it lays a strong foundation for speaking and reading success. 

     1. Develops phonemic awareness

     2. Improves articulation

     3. Enhances oral expression

     4. Boosts reading & literacy skills

     5. Fosters social interaction

     6. Facilitates accent reduction

FONEMZ® assigns a unique color and shape to each English phoneme.

The FONZABET bridges spelling and reading using the same 40 colors for letter combinations.

How it works:

1. Start with FONEMZ isolated sounds.

2. Progress to blending 2 sounds.

3. Move on to blending 3 or more sounds.

4. Build words.

5. Spell and read words.

   5 Steps

Our Mission: Simplify Speech and Language Acquisition

We're committed to revolutionizing education and giving teachers and students the tools to strengthen key skills that underpin phonemic awareness, articulation, language proficiency, literacy competence, and self-esteem.

 

Our educational approach is grounded in a program that offers flexibility and accommodation for students with diverse needs and abilities. Designed for learners of all ages, the FONEMZ Speak & Read program benefits entire classroom populations, facilitates small group reinforcement activities, and provides intensive individual instruction.

 

We understand the importance of considering the needs of all students and educators from the outset. Our flexible curricula are designed with three core principles that guide the embedding of options to support differences in both teachers and learners:

 

  • Flexible Presentation: We support speech pathologists, professionals, educators, and learners by offering a range of flexible methods for presenting educational content.

  • Diverse Expression: Our approach provides multiple, flexible methods for expression, engagement, autonomy, and choice, giving students a rich and varied learning experience.

  • Effective Social Interaction: We promote effective learning through multiple, flexible options for social interaction, recognizing that learning flourishes in collaborative environments.

 

With the FONEMZ program, our educational approach is rooted in empowering learners and educators with the tools they need to thrive in a diverse and inclusive educational landscape.

About the Developer of FONEMZ

Sandy Kaul, the developer of FONEMZ, is a Speech, Language and Hearing Pathologist.  She has over 40 years of experience, working with students from infants to adults. Throughout her career she has worked with deaf and hearing impaired populations. She also specializes in working with children with Autism, Down Syndrome and Apraxia. She has been a mentor teacher trained in BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) and well versed in the CSTP (California Standards for the Teaching Profession). She has received training and certification in other methods including LiPS, and PROMPT.  She is a CEU authorized provider in California.  FONEMZ is an evidence-based practice with research published: Using a Multimodal Approach to Facilitate Articulation, Phonemic Awareness, and Literacy in Young Children Communication Disorders Quarterly 1–11,  March 23, 2015

Robert A. Pieretti, PhD, CCC-SLP, Sandra D. Kaul, MA, CCC-SLP, Razi M. Zarchy, MS, CCC-SLP, and Laureen M. O’Hanlon, PhD, CCC-SLP

© Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1525740114545360 cdq.sagepub.com

bottom of page