Orthographic mapping is the mental process we use to store words in long-term memory for automatic retrieval. This is key to becoming a successful and fluent reader. Through orthographic mapping, the letters we see with our eyes and the sounds we hear in that word get processed together as a sight word and are stored together in the brain.

In the beginning stages of reading, students are introduced to high-frequency words. High-frequency words can be phonetically or irregularly spelled. We call the irregularly spelled words HEART words because they have some parts we need to know by heart. To store these words into long-term memory, students need to map them into their brain orthographically.

About 50 percent of English words are decodable, and another 36 percent are decodable with the exception of one sound. However, some words have a been around for centuries and their pronunciations have changed over time. These words don't follow the rules of phonics and can be tricky for students. Orthographically mapping these words will help your student with reading and spelling these tricky words.

This is a great task for grades k-2.

Click on the image above to access the Heart Words from UFLI.

Watch this video of a Forsyth County Literacy Coach modeling a task that promotes word mapping.

When practicing words at home, use this key for help on how to map the sounds of the words. Some of them can be tricky!

Use this online tool to help map any word.

The activities below are great for students in grades 3-5 and K-2 students who are ready to read longer words.

Click on the morphology picture for a video explanation.

As children grow into stronger readers, they begin to encounter longer and more complex words. Many of these words are built from smaller word parts like prefixes (beginnings), suffixes (endings), and roots.

Prefixes come at the beginning and change meaning (pre- = before, un- = not).
Suffixes come at the end and change meaning or grammar (-ed = past, -er = someone who does).
Roots often come from Greek and Latin and carry the core meaning (bio = life, graph = write).

When students become familiar with these word parts, they can figure out the meaning of many new words without needing a dictionary.

For example:

preview = pre- (before) + view (look) → “to look at before”
biology = bio (life) + logy (study of) → “the study of life”

Morphology is like LEGO blocks for words—when children learn how the pieces fit together, they can unlock thousands of new words and become stronger readers, spellers, and thinkers.

How can parents help at home?

Spot Word Parts Together: Look for prefixes, suffixes, or roots when reading.
Play Word Games: Build as many words as possible from a root (act: action, actor, active, inactive).
Talk About Word Meanings: Ask, “If pre- means ‘before,’ what might preview mean?”
Encourage Curiosity: Celebrate when your child notices patterns in words!

Click on the picture, select a base word, and see how many words you can create. Involve the whole family for a fun competition!