Innovation in Reading Spanish

Reading is an essential skill for personal, social, and professional development, as it facilitates access to information, autonomy, and active participation in society. In line with the fourth Sustainable Development Goal, this article presents an innovative literacy strategy aimed at reducing illiteracy and promoting lifelong learning. The proposed approach, titled Reading primer based on different mouth positions” is grounded in the visual representation of mouth shapes to support the recognition of phonemes in Spanish, a language known for its phonological transparency. This methodology has been applied in real educational settings with children aged 6 to 12, adults with learning difficulties, and foreign individuals who require language skills for social integration or professional purposes. It has been used particularly with Romani, Moroccan, and Chinese students. Additionally, it has been implemented with people invulnerable situations, including those with Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, selective mutism, ADHD, early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and hearing impairments. Used by professionals across various fields in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries—such as teachers, speech therapists, speech-language pathologists, and families in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia—this tool shows potential for implementation in intercultural contexts, particularly within Chinese culture.