#66: Orthographic Mapping Made Simple with Dr. Molly Ness
When My Spelling Lists Didn’t Stick…
I remember it like it was yesterday: I had just handed back a stack of spelling tests, and my students had aced them. But the very next week, those same words showed up again in their writing—and it was like they’d never seen them before. Sound familiar?
Back then, I chalked it up to short attention spans or lack of practice. But now, I know better. It wasn’t my students—it was the way I was teaching words. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working overtime just to get words to stick, you’re not alone. And the solution? It starts with something called orthographic mapping.
What Is Orthographic Mapping—and Why Should You Care?
Orthographic mapping may sound like something out of a neuroscience textbook, but it’s actually the secret sauce behind how we all learn to recognize words instantly. Coined by reading researcher Linnea Ehri, orthographic mapping is the brain’s behind-the-scenes process for permanently storing words in our memory.
It’s not a program or a worksheet. It’s the cognitive connection between how a word looks (its spelling), how it sounds (its phonemes), and what it means. Once all three are linked in a student’s brain, the word becomes part of their “sight word” vocabulary—not through rote memorization, but through real understanding.
Why does this matter? Because fluent reading—and ultimately comprehension—depends on this process. If students are stuck sounding out every word, they’re using all their mental energy on decoding, with nothing left for thinking about what they’re reading.
A 4-Step Framework to Make Words Stick
In her new book Making Words Stick, Dr. Molly Ness lays out a simple, science-backed protocol to support orthographic mapping in your classroom. Here’s a high-level look at her 4-step approach:
1. See It and Say It
- Display the word visually.
- Have students say it aloud.
- Ensure correct pronunciation and exposure to different fonts or handwriting.
2. Segment and Spell It
- Help students connect graphemes to phonemes.
- Discuss tricky spelling patterns (e.g., “ough”).
- Use heart word routines or spelling routines that reinforce sound-symbol correspondence.
3. Study and Suss It Out
- Provide a student-friendly definition.
- Explore how the word is used in different contexts.
- Link the word to semantically related vocabulary.
4. Search and Stick
- Move the word out of isolation.
- Incorporate it into connected texts and word hunts.
- Reinforce transfer and automaticity through repetition and application.
This protocol isn’t about drilling words—it’s about helping kids build lasting word knowledge through meaning, sound, and spelling all working together.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
- What orthographic mapping really means (in teacher-friendly terms).
- Why rote memorization of sight words doesn’t work—and what does.
- How to use a 4-step system to support mapping in your classroom.
- The role of oral language in making words stick.
- A first step you can take today to move beyond ineffective spelling lists.
Bringing It All Together
Here’s the good news: once you understand how orthographic mapping works, you’ll never go back to endless flashcard drills again. Teaching becomes easier. Students learn faster. And best of all? The words actually stick.
It’s not magic—it’s science. And now that you know the process, you can transform your word work with intention and impact.
Want More Support? Join The Science of Reading Formula
Ready to dig deeper into how kids learn to read—and how you can teach with confidence? Join us inside The Science of Reading Formula, where we break down the research into bite-sized, ready-to-use strategies for K–2 classrooms.
Let’s make every word count—together.th clarity—and impact.
LINKS
Molly Ness’s Website
Making Words Stick by Dr. Molly Ness
Become a Science of Reading Formula member!
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