The Word Mapping Formula
Learn the Mathematical Formula for Mapping Words Bidirectionally
Mapping the Alphabetic Code
Supporting speech and language therapists, parents and teachers to SHOW the Code without prescribing how they teach phonics or spelling.
Our WHY Training System develops understanding of the mathematics of bidirectional word mapping, encouraging people to question WHY they do what they do and understand HOW to calculate the code, rather than telling them HOW to teach students.
That part is your expertise. You know the students you work with. We don't.
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Do we know whether teachers are being supported to map words bidirectionally and Show the Code at the point of student need?
Are teachers getting the knowledge, training and practical support they need to orthographically map any word, in both directions, according to how it's pronounced?Do they understand what their education department expects of them, why orthographic knowledge matters, and how to apply that knowledge at the point of student need?
The Word Mapping Formula gives teachers the support they need to Show the Code, building their confidence to map any word, at any time, while promoting a consistent approach across schools.
When adults attend Word Mapping Mastery® training, they learn how to use The Word Mapping Formula, The Word Mapping Tool and The 60-Second Spelling Routine.
These are used whether a learner is 3, 13 or 30, because the goal is to ensure that they become self-teaching and that reading and spelling become easier. It's never too late! However, it's far easier to prevent the need for intervention, so please do follow the Upstream Team at UpstreamSEND.com. We've just been awarded over £200,000 in funding to get the ball rolling towards screening all three-year-olds for dyslexia risk and providing support upstream. First Ripple SEN Support!
We show teachers how to use MyWordz® technology to check the mapping of words themselves. We teach them about the IPA so they understand how and why Phonemies® are used within the Innovate UK funded bidirectional word mapping technology as phonetic symbols for orthographic learners: anyone learning to read, spell and communicate in English. Also learn more about the first phonetic keyboard and one-screen AAC for non-speaking children here.
Show the Code: The Word Mapping Formula
Phonological–orthographic mapping provides the underlying knowledge that education departments already expect teachers to apply when supporting reading and spelling. Yet this knowledge is not routinely assessed during initial teacher education or in the workplace, and teachers may not receive the explicit training and practical support needed to develop and apply it confidently.
“Showing the Code isn't optional. So supporting teachers to do it can't be optional either!”
Exploring and developing teachers' word-mapping knowledge provides an opportunity to identify gaps in the training, guidance and resources available to them, and establish what further support would be useful.
It also gives school leaders and teachers the knowledge to evaluate phonics programmes more critically, understand what each programme does and doesn't provide, and make better-informed decisions about which programmes and approaches are most likely to meet the needs of their children.
With this knowledge and support, teachers are better equipped to identify gaps, adapt or extend instruction where needed, support children to map unfamiliar words for reading and spelling throughout the school day, and analyse children's own mapping to identify what they need next.
This turns expectations about teacher knowledge into supported, demonstrable practice and helps education departments achieve their wider goal of improving literacy standards.
“Schools should better support all teachers working in primary education, as well as those delivering interventions. If we expect teachers to Show the Code, we must ensure they've been shown how.”
Emma Hartnell-Baker MEd SEN
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Supporting teachers to apply the Bidirectional Word Mapping Formula so they can SHOW the Code to their students at the point of need.
Meaning + spoken word + written word → identify the phonemes and graphemes → show how they correspond in both directions
Apply it in this order:
1. Jurisdictional standard
Word meaning + reference pronunciation + spelling → standard word map
Print ↔ speech
2. Child’s accent, if different
Child’s pronunciation + the same spelling → child’s word map
Print ↔ speech
3. Teacher’s judgement
Compare the two maps → choose which pronunciation the child will map for this word → use the 60-Second Spelling Routine®
Result sought:
Speech sounds + graphemes + meaning → bonded in the orthographic lexicon → greater capacity for self-teaching new words.
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If the mapping is uncertain → check it with the word-mapping technology.
After establishing the meaning of a word and mapping its phonemes and graphemes, teachers could further strengthen orthographic learning by drawing attention to its morphology and etymology, where useful and where they have the knowledge to do so.