What is Sounds-Write?

Sounds-Write is a highly effective, structured, linguistic phonics program.

It systematically and explicitly teaches the skills, conceptual knowledge and code knowledge that are essential for learning to read and spell successfully.

The program can be delivered in the classroom or in intervention settings to students of any age.

Scroll down for more information and FAQs.

  • Online

    A 6 week online course completed with a cohort of other participants and offered on set dates each school term.

  • Face to Face

    An intensive and practical face-to-face workshop delivered over 4 days.

    Courses run in Brisbane region

  • In School Training

    Contact Alison to find out more about hosting a Sounds-Write workshop at your school or clinic (Brisbane region).

    Booking Request 

Sounds-Write Training Packages

Collapsible content

Package 1: Individual

✔ Sounds-Write manual & training materials

✔ Free, LIFETIME access to the new Sounds-Write Practitioners’ Portal

✔ Free place in a future Sounds-Write Revisited course (valued at $192.50)

VALUED AT $192.50

Package 2: Schools & Organisations

Available to schools and organisations committed to training a minimum of 5 staff members within a 2-year period. Terms & Conditions

✔ All participants receive the Sounds-Write manual & training materials

✔ All participants receive get free, LIFETIME access to the new Sounds-Write Practitioners’ Portal

✔ All participants receive a free place in a future Sounds-Write Revisited course (valued at $192.50)

✔ 1 x FREE place for a member of the senior leadership team in the Sounds-Write Practitioners’ Online Training (valued at $1089)

✔ 1 x FREE place for the Sounds-Write Masterclass: 'Leading Phonics in Your School' (valued at $528)

✔ 1 x FREE place for the Sounds-Write Masterclass: 'Teaching Phonics as an Intervention' (valued at $192.50)

VALUED AT $1800

Available Sounds-Write Training

Can't see a date that suits?

  • It Works!

    You are probably here because you have already heard of or witnessed the incredible impact Sounds-Write can have, especially for students who find learning to read and spell particularly challenging.

    Find out about the impact Sounds-Write can have in this book of peer-reviewed case studies in different geographical and educational settings across the world.

    Case Study link: https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/what-is-sounds-write/case-studies/

  • Tried & Tested Method

    Sounds-Write celebrated its 20th birthday in 2023. From the beginning, the program's authors worked to translate the latest evidence from the Science of Reading and cognitive science (how brains learn best) into practical, structured, explicit lessons.

    Sounds-Write leaves nothing to chance and provides a clear scope and sequence for teaching phonics, from simple, one-syllable words to more complex words, including those with more than one syllable.

    It is a no-fuss, no-frills approach to minimise students' cognitive load and maximise their learning.

  • Increased Teacher Confidence

    Sounds-Write training is an intensive and practical experience, with a focus on not just WHAT and HOW to teach, but WHY.

    The course and manual will enhance your knowledge of phonics and learning in general, and give you a deeper understanding of how to teach students to read and write to the best of their abilities.

  • Increased Student Confidence

    By providing students with a logical, systematic and explicit method for learning to read and spell, the Sounds-Write program boosts student confidence and self-esteem, which often filters into areas well beyond your Sounds-Write lessons.

  • Suitable for All Learners

    Sounds-Write is developmentally appropriate as a whole class program for beginning readers across the first three years of schooling. The approach also offers highly effective intervention for students at all year levels who have fallen behind in their reading and spelling. Sounds-Write is also valuable for upper primary and high school teachers within the context of teaching reading and spelling of subject specific terminology.

  • Neurodivergent & LOTE

    Also, neurodivergent students, students with English as an additional language and those with additional learning support needs respond very well to the Sounds-Write method of instruction. Lessons can be delivered as a whole class, in small groups or individual sessions.

"...schools need access to high-quality programmes that have the heavy-lifting already done in terms of their theoretical foundations, scope and sequence, teaching materials and scripts, assessment and monitoring tools, high-quality training and coaching, and demonstration videos. Sounds-Write is such a programme."

Professor Pamela Snow (2022) Foreword.In T. Beaven, A. Comas-Quinn & N. Hinton (Eds), Systematic synthetic phonics: case studies from Sounds-Write practitioners (pp. xv-xvi). Research-publishing.net. https://research-publishing.net/book?10.14705/rpnet.2022.55.9782383720010
  • The course was incredible informative and wonderfully practical. It is probably the most practical course I’ve completed, meaning I have been able to quickly and confidently start planning and implementing the lessons for my students. I’m already observing progress and a significant growth in confidence among students of a variety of ages.

    -SPELD SPECIALIST TUTOR

  • The online course was very structured and well-planned, with excellent resources (visual and written). The support from the Sounds-Write trainer, particularly on the discussion forum, was a real highlight.

    - SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

  • This is one of the best courses I have been to in my 21 years of teaching. I would recommend it to every teacher as it provides you with the skills and confidence needed to effectively teach students to read and spell. Alison is a truly knowledgeable presenter who is an asset to Sounds-Write. Thank you!

    - PRIMARY TEACHER

  • The course is rigorous and extensive- not just covering phonics itself, but also broader topics like the history of language and cognitive load theory. I have come away with a much deeper understanding of explicitly teaching phonics, how children best learn and the rationale behind the method.

    - YEAR 2 TEACHER

  • I wish I had done this years ago!

    - SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

  • Sounds-Write fills the gaps in teacher knowledge and provides theoretical underpinnings, drawn from evidence-based best practice. It provides explicit coaching, scope and sequence, teaching through errors and mentoring from a highly skilled trainer. The Sounds-Write program is based on the needs of the learner, with considerations given to working memory, cognitive load, and transference to long term memory. If only they taught this at university - we would have students excelling at a 21st Century level!

    - EDUCATION AND LITERACY INTERVENTION COACH

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What impact can Sounds-Write training have for teachers and students within a school?

Sounds-Write Online

Online Training FAQs

What does the Online Sounds-Write Training involve?

Please note that this is a very rigorous, high-quality training course involving a considerable amount of learning. Here is an overview of the course structure and approximate study time required:

Week 0 (~2 hours required): In this week you will become familiar with the online platform, introduce yourself and meet your trainer and other trainees. The course includes a discussion forum where you will be able to ask questions, and where you will contribute to course discussions.

Weeks 1 - 4 (~8 to 10 hours of work per week): New content is made available at the start of each week. This includes reading material, explanation and demonstration videos and lesson practise. You also have assessment tasks to complete. Active participation in the online discussion forum is required.

Week 5 (~2 hours of work): This week has no formal new content, but you will be able to revisit anything in the course before the course closes. At the end of week 5, the course website will close, and you will no longer have access to the online course.

Live sessions: There will be weekly synchronous sessions online during the course, using the Zoom platform. These will take the form of a live Q&A with your Trainer and also provide the opportunity to consolidate your understanding. For those who cannot attend the live sessions, these will be recorded and made available during the course.

What do I need for the online course?

To access the course, you will need a PC or laptop (including Mac). You should not do the course on your phone or tablet as some parts will not work well.

You will need a steady internet connection as there are several video explanations and demonstrations.

If you are accessing the course from your workplace, it is your responsibility to check with your IT manager that you will enable you to access external content, including Zoom.

For some activities, you will need to video yourself. You can use the camera on your laptop or a mobile phone. The format you will need to submit your videos in is: .mov .avi or .mp4 format.

How is the online training different to the face-to-face training?

The learning objectives is the same for both courses. All participants also receive the Sounds-Write manual. The face-to-face training is delivered over four days, where the online training is mostly self-paced and delivered over six weeks.

Participants find both methods highly effective, so your decision comes down to location and personal preference.

What is the cost?

Registration in the Sounds-Write Practitioners’ Online Training is $1089 (including GST).

You will receive a copy of the Sounds-Write manual and handouts in the post before the training starts. Postage is included within Australia and New Zealand.

Additional postage costs may apply to other countries - please contact Soundality for a quote.

Online Training

A 6 week online course providing you with top quality, evidence-informed training to equip you to effectively teach reading and spelling.

Face-to-Face Training FAQs

Where is the course held?

Currently, due to commitments to her young family, Alison is only available to present in the Brisbane region. Venue details will be shared once registrations are open. Workshops are held onsite at schools or in function centres.

How is the online training different to the face-to-face training?

The learning objectives is the same for both courses. All participants also receive the Sounds-Write manual. The face-to-face training is delivered over four days, where the online training is mostly self-paced and delivered over six weeks.

Participants find both methods highly effective, so your decision comes down to location and personal preference.

What is the time commitment for training?

Face-to-face courses usually run from 9:00am to 3:30pm over four days. There is a 20-minute break for morning tea, and a 40-minute break for lunch. Times are flexible when held onsite at schools.

Are meals provided?

Yes! You need a yummy meal when you have been working hard! Tea, coffee, morning tea and a light lunch is provided. Dietary requirements are always taken into consideration where possible.

General Sounds-Write Training FAQs

What will I achieve by completing training in Sounds-Write?

  • You will learn to deliver scripted, multisensory lessons for explicitly teaching students to read and spell. These lessons can be used for mainstream classroom instruction and for students with learning support needs

  • You will develop a solid understanding of the science of learning to read and spell (to understand why we do it the way we do)

  • You will have a clear scope and sequence for teaching phonics over the first three years of schooling, or with older students for intervention. You’ll be confident to teach students to read and spell simple words like ‘in’ right through to more complex, polysyllabic words like ‘procrastination! (What are you waiting for? Register now!)

  • You will learn exactly what to do and say when a student makes an error (so they can learn from it).

  • You will learn how to differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of all students in your class

  • You will have access to a highly active and supportive online network of other Sounds-Write practitioners, whose common goals is to #knowbetterdobetter

There are many different phonics programs available. Why should I choose Sounds-Write?

  • Sounds-Write training doesn’t just tell you WHAT to teach. You learn exactly WHY and HOW to do it in the most effective ways!

  • Beyond the costs of the training course, there are no or very few ongoing costs in implementing the program from year to year.

  • Sounds-Write instruction starts with what all children learn naturally: the sounds of their own spoken language. This approach (known as linguistic phonics, or speech-to-print) can be used effectively across all age groups and with students who have extra challenges such as English as an additional language, language difficulties, speech sound disorders and more.

  • Sounds-Write leaves nothing to chance and provides a clear scope and sequence for teaching phonics, from simple, one-syllable words to more complex words including those with more than one syllable. The Sounds-Write lessons teach students the key elements of conceptual understanding, factual knowledge, and the essential phonemic awareness skills of blending, segmenting, and phoneme manipulation; all of which are necessary for any student to learn to read and spell.

  • Trainees say that they love how Sounds-Write is suitable for all students, of any age. There are no childish illustrations, songs, or actions to learn. No complicated language or spelling rules (which always have so many exceptions!). That said, there is still plenty of opportunities for an educator’s style and personality to shine!

Who can complete the training?

Sounds-Write training is available to anyone looking for a highly effective method of teaching reading and spelling. Many teachers, speech pathologists, tutor and parents looking to support their children at home have completed the training.

What materials do I get?

All participants receive a comprehensive manual with scripted lessons, word lists and decodable stories, and the theoretical underpinnings of the approach (the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ and ‘how’). You also gain access to an online, downloadable folder with hundreds of additional documents for planning and implementation of the program.

You also get free LIFETIME access to the new Practitioner's Portal! An online hub with interactive activities, a game/worksheet generator, decodable stories, webinars and more!

Is Sounds-Write a scripted program?

Yes! The scripted lessons provide a recipe for success! They ensure that nothing is left out, and this equals confident teachers and successful students.

Although scripted, the lessons still allow for the teacher’s style and personality to shine through! Trainees say that “the script is simple, yet powerful, clear and concise. It just makes sense!” (Year 1 teacher)

Are there any ongoing costs with using Sounds-Write?

Pretty much everything you need to teach the Sounds-Write lessons is included in your manual and the training. As John Walker (co-author of the program) once told me, “You can teach a kid to read with a stick in the sand!”. It’s true- that is how I taught my son when we were travelling around Australia in 2018!

You and your students will need a whiteboard, markers and some sticky notes, magnetic letters and/or letter tiles, and some paper and pencils. That’s it really! The Sounds-Write authors were mindful of keeping the costs of resourcing to a minimum. After all, it is the teacher themselves that is the best resource!

That said, ideally, your instruction should be supplemented with decodable readers which will allow your students to apply their skills and knowledge when reading texts. These should be in every educators’ classroom/clinic/room regardless of whether you are using Sounds-Write!

Are there resources that match the phonics sequence of Sounds-Write?

Sounds-Write decodable readers (Initial Code and Extended Code fiction stories and NEW non-fiction texts on animals) are available, and the readers from Phonic Books also match the Sounds-Write sequence (you may know the ‘Dandelion Series’ and ‘Catch-Up Series’, see www.phonicbooks.co.uk).

Photocopiable Sounds-Write activity books are also available to support classroom or home practice. These are just $60 each and available here.

There is also an App by Sounds-Write designed for young children: ‘Initial Code’.

How does Sounds-Write differentiate/cater for lower ability students and higher ability students in my class?

We recommend that all students participate in the daily Sounds-Write lesson. You will learn practical ways to differentiate for your struggling and more-skilled students during these lessons in the training course. This includes reducing cognitive load, teaching through errors, scaffolding, word choice, peer modelling and more.

As with any lessons, we expect that some students require revision of what was covered in the whole-class lesson. Sounds-Write can be delivered effectively in small groups. Practise and rehearsal will help students to transfer new skills and knowledge into long-term memory. Practice makes permanent!

Furthermore, a smaller number of students may need targeted intervention, which is where Sounds-Write can be used in small groups or one-on-one.

Can I train others in Sounds-Write?

In short, no.

You are encouraged to discuss what you have learned informally with your colleagues (word of mouth often leads people to complete the training in the first place!), but successful completion of the course does not carry training rights.

You are not allowed to train others in Sounds-Write or share or copy the resources in the manual. Training in Sounds-Write is limited only to Sounds-Write licensed trainers. Sounds-Write is highly effective when delivered with fidelity, and this is only possible when the full training has been completed.

What support is available after I complete the training?

All trainees are invited to join a private support group (on Facebook). This is an active and very supportive group with thousands of members, including ‘Mr Sounds-Write’ himself, John Walker.

You also get free LIFETIME access to the new Practitioner's Portal! An online hub with interactive activities, a game/worksheet generator, decodable stories, webinars and more! There's even a 'new practitioner's hub' with top tips videos for each lesson!

You can also access personal coaching for parents and speech pathologists, and coaching for schools who have trained their staff through Soundality. Coaching packages can be tailored to meet the needs of each situation.

Providing follow-up consultations for schools who are implementing Sounds-Write is an important role of the Sounds-Write trainers.

Useful links

Sounds-Write Showcase (A short webinar showcasing the key elements of the program): https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/useful-links/

Extension Courses (for Sounds-Write trained practitioners): https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/training-courses/specialist-courses/

All Sounds-Write Training

Sounds-Write Resources