Worldwide Business with kathy ireland®
March 12, 2021
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Samantha Taylor, MS, CCC-SLP
When we think about learning to read, we often picture books, flashcards, and the alphabet song. But long before children ever decode their first printed word, their brain is already gathering information about language in another powerful way, by watching faces.
Every time we speak, our mouths create distinct, visible patterns of movements. These visual speech patterns are known as visemes, the visible counterparts of speech sounds.
For many children, these mouth movements quietly support language development alongside what they hear. For children who are deaf or hard of hearing, visible speech may not simply support learning and may become an essential pathway to literacy.
Reading begins with phonological awareness, the ability to notice, identify, blend, segment, and manipulate the individual sounds within words. Traditionally, we think of this task as an auditory skill. Yet research and clinical practice indicate an important notation: sound can also be seen. When children watch a speaker’s mouth, they are gathering valuable information about how speech is produced. Children begin linking:
This visual access facilitates building the bridge between phonemes (speech sounds) and graphemes (letters and letter combinations), the foundation of phonics instruction.
For children who cannot fully access spoken language through hearing alone, visible articulation can transform abstract sounds into something concrete, repeatable, and learnable. Face-to-face communication is naturally multimodal. We process speech not only through our ears, but through our eyes.
In a 2022 study, researchers Krason, Fenton, Varley, and Vigliocco found that informative mouth movements significantly improved word recognition, especially in challenging listening environments. Participants responded faster and more accurately when visual speech cues were available, particularly when auditory input was degraded or noisy.
This matters in real life. Classrooms are noisy. Cafeterias, playgrounds, hospitals, and family gatherings rarely provide ideal listening conditions. Visual access to speech gives children another way to decode language when hearing alone is not enough.
For infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children in particular, consistent visual access to a speaker’s mouth is especially important as speech, language, and early literacy foundations are developing. When face coverings are needed, clear window masks can help preserve access to critical visual speech cues, allowing children to continue seeing how sounds are formed while staying connected to spoken language.
Human faces communicate far more than emotion. Facial expressions provide linguistic information, prediction cues, rhythm, and clarity. Visible mouth movements can support:
For deaf and hard of hearing children, watching a speaker’s mouth may help predict upcoming words, distinguish similar sounds, and strengthen connections between spoken and written language.
Supporting literacy does not always start with a worksheet. Sometimes literacy starts with simply being seen. Small adjustments can make a powerful difference:
Whether you are a parent reading bedtime stories, a teacher introducing phonics, an interpreter facilitating access, or a clinician building communication skills, your face may be one of the most powerful literacy tools in the room. Explore Safe’N’Clear’s education resources and accessible classroom guide for more on supporting visible speech at school, or the parent guide to choosing the right mask for a child with special needs for guidance at home.
Ready to keep speech visible at home, in the classroom, or at appointments? Visit Safe’N’Clear’s purchase guide to compare ASTM Level 1 and ASTM Level 3 Communicator™ masks.
