How to Build "Word Wealth" | Sean Morrisey
Notas del episodio
Katie welcomes Sean Morrisey, creator of the Word Mapping Project, for an engaging conversation about vocabulary instruction, morphology, the Science of Reading, and why building "word wealth" is essential for every child's literacy development.
Drawing on his experience as both a former school psychologist and a fifth-grade teacher, Sean explains why vocabulary should be taught explicitly, how spelling strengthens long-term word learning, and why students can learn far more sophisticated language than we often expect. Together, Katie and Sean explore orthographic mapping, morphology, structured literacy, dyslexia, developmental language disorder, reading fluency, and practical strategies that parents and teachers can use immediately to help children become confident readers and writers.
They also discuss why vocabulary instruction shouldn't stop after the primary grades, how to create meaningful conversations around words, and why connecting sound, spelling, and meaning helps words become permanently stored in memory.
This episode is for parents, educators, literacy specialists, reading interventionists, school leaders, homeschool families, and anyone interested in the Science of Reading, the Science of Learning, vocabulary development, and evidence-based literacy instruction.
About Sean Morrisey
Sean Morrisey is a fifth-grade teacher at Pinehurst Elementary School in the Frontier Central School District near Buffalo, New York. A former school psychologist, Sean is the creator of the Word Mapping Project, a morphology-rich curriculum grounded in the Science of Reading and the Science of Learning. His work helps educators teach vocabulary, spelling, morphology, and word study through practical, evidence-based instructional strategies that improve long-term literacy outcomes.
Sean's Links
Chapters
00:00 – Kids Can Learn Bigger Words Than We Think
00:49 – Meet Sean Morrisey
02:00 – From School Psychologist to Classroom Teacher
05:00 – Why Spelling Still Matters
06:10 – The Birth of the Word Mapping Project
09:00 – Teaching Big Words to Little Kids
13:00 – Bringing Vocabulary to Life
16:00 – Dyslexia, DLD, and Reading Difficulties
20:00 – What Is the Word Mapping Project?
21:00 – Sound, Spelling, Meaning & Morphology
24:00 – Supporting Struggling Readers
27:00 – Building Your Own Word Knowledge
28:00 – Teaching with Synonyms and Antonyms
29:30 – Practical Advice for Parents