Reading is the strongest predictor of spelling across all word types, while sublexical knowledge predicts pseudoword spelling only and is negatively associated with irregular word spelling¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Reading was a consistently strong predictor of spelling of all three word types with large effect sizes. → Niolaki 2022

Evidence¶

Niolaki 2022¶

Niolaki, G., Vousden, J., Terzopoulos, A., Shepherd, D.-L., Debney, L., & Masterson, J. (2022). Spelling predictors; investigating the role of phonological ability and rapid naming in a large cross-sectional British study. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101635

q3 · i? · associational · r3

Partial correlations controlling for year group in the 641-child sample show reading correlating strongly with irregular (r = .648), regular (r = .771) and pseudoword (r = .638) spelling; the mixed models also gave the largest reading coefficients.

"Looking at the results from the partial correlational analyses, reading was a consistently strong predictor of spelling and with large effect sizes, consistent with developmental models that propose a strong association between these two abilities (Ehri, 1997)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Decoding — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Irregular word and pseudoword spelling dissociate after controlling for year group, consistent with distinct lexical and sublexical processes — related
• Phonological awareness predicts irregular word spelling from Yr 2 onward but does not predict regular word or pseudoword spelling at any year group — related
• RAN predicts irregular word spelling in Yrs 5–6, regular word spelling in Yrs 2 and 6, and pseudoword spelling in Yr 2, varying with spelling experience — related
• Spelling accuracy for irregular words, regular words and pseudowords improves significantly with year group (spelling experience) — related
• Children spell regular words more accurately than pseudowords and irregular words, and irregular word accuracy falls below pseudoword accuracy until Yr 5 — related
• Results are not fully in line with current theories on the representation of orthographic knowledge — related