Orthographic Mapping & Effective Spelling Instruction (with Dr. Molly Ness)

In this episode, we’re joined by literacy expert Dr. Molly Ness, author of Making Words Stick, to unpack the science behind orthographic mapping and what truly effective spelling instruction looks like. If you've ever found yourself wondering whether “irregular” words really exist—or how to teach spelling in a way that actually transfers to reading and writing—this episode is for you.

Dr. Molly Ness is a former classroom teacher, a reading researcher, and a teacher educator. She earned a doctorate in reading education at the University of Virginia, and spent 16 years as an associate professor at Fordham University in New York City. The author of five books, Molly served on the Board of Directors for the International Literacy Association and is a New York state chapter founder of the Reading League. Dr. Ness has extensive experience in reading clinics, consulting with school districts, leading professional development, and advising school systems on research-based reading instruction. She is also the host of the End Book Deserts podcast. In 2024, she founded Dirigo Literacy, a literacy consulting firm supporting schools, districts, and states align with and implement the science of reading.

🔑 Key Topics We Cover:

✅ Why Overusing the Term “Irregular” Leads to Ineffective Practices
 Labeling too many words as irregular encourages rote memorization and bypasses opportunities to build deep, transferable decoding skills.

✅ The Least to Most Reliable Ways to Decode Words
 Dr. Ness explains the hierarchy of decoding approaches, from unreliable guessing strategies to the most effective use of grapheme–phoneme correspondences and morphemic analysis.

✅ Phonological Representations & Print: Why We Need Both
 Orthographic mapping depends on students having clear, accurate phonological representations of words. Dr. Ness emphasizes why instruction should always integrate print with sound-based practice.

✅ Embedding Vocabulary Without Derailing Encoding Work
 Learn how to layer vocabulary instruction into decoding and spelling lessons without losing focus—or getting lost in semantic tangents.

✅ Dr. Ness’s 4-Step Process for Teaching Spelling (from Making Words Stick).

Get Dr. Ness’s book “Making Words Stick” here.

Connect with Dr. Ness on Instagram @a_reading_mother

Learn more about Dr. Ness’ other books and advocacy work on her website here. 

In this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program for SLPs that helps clinicians create a research-based framework for language therapy that supports phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, and orthographic knowledge. You can learn more about the program here. 

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.