Molly Ness, Katie Pace Miles, and Orthographic Mapping!

 

"The average reader instantly and effortlessly recognizes 30,000 - 70,000 words, with no need to decode them or sound them out (Mather and Jaffe, 2021). But that does not mean decoding wasn't necessary for that to happen - or more specifically, to get those words into memory." 

Wowza!  I couldn't start the summer without finishing this amazing resource from Molly & Katie! From the very beginning, I was carried down a memory lane of mistaken spelling practices that were encouraged in my host classrooms and then later continued in my own centers with all grade levels. But just like Molly and Katie emphasize in their book, once we know better, we CAN do better!  

My absolute favorite was their 4-step system of making spelling instruction explicit and intentional - all of us can utilize it no matter what resource has been adopted.  If you are frustrated with the lack of transfer during written responses -- if you are ready to move beyond the Monday-Friday traditional list of memorization with minimal results -- please grab this research-to-practice quick read for changing and improving instruction for your students!

While the 4-step routine is detailed in the book, here are my three thoughts to ponder:

1. Orthographic Mapping Is Key to Long-Term Word Retention

Miles & Ness emphasize that orthographic mapping—the mental process of connecting sounds (phonemes), letters (graphemes), and meaning—is the foundation of fluent word reading. Students don't memorize whole words; instead, they map them sound by sound. Understanding this cognitive process reshapes how educators should approach decoding and spelling instruction.

Takeaway: Teaching should focus on helping students connect sound, symbol, and meaning—not just memorizing word lists. In my university classroom, we speak about this quite extensively and read the work of Dr. Ehri to further our understanding. The Teaching Reading Sourcebook, while huge and almost overwhelming, is an awesome resource to utilize for ideas in the 5 pillars!

2. The Four-Step Routine Makes Word Learning Systematic and Predictable

The heart of the book is a four-step instructional routine that supports orthographic mapping:

1. Pronounce and Segment – Say the word and break it into phonemes.

2. Identify Graphemes – Map the sounds to letters or spelling patterns.

3. Analyze for Patterns – Discuss any irregularities or patterns.

4. Practice and Review – Engage in active, repeated practice.

Takeaway: Consistently using this routine strengthens students’ decoding, encoding, and meaning retention in a simple, repeatable format. I love connecting it to a triangle model in my classroom -- see it, say it, write it. 

3. Meaning Matters

A unique strength of the authors' approach is how it integrates meaning-making into word recognition. Rather than teaching phonics in isolation, the routine ends with a focus on word meaning and usage. This creates deeper learning and increases the likelihood that students will remember and use the word.

Takeaway: Word learning is most effective when it links sound, spelling, and meaning—not just one or two components. We also connect this to a triangle figure -- letters, sounds, and meaning -- in my literacy course. We discuss how words should be utilized and modeled in a sentence to help student's understand meaning and usage.  Many teachers have practiced this routine to utilize with their students in my explicit phonics instruction & vocabulary work sessions. 

What are your key-takeaways?