The six 100-word spelling lists are practically identical in difficulty, differing from list 1 by .9 to 3.4 points¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 1910 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? All grades tested on successive days with list 1 and one other list showed the lists practically identical in difficulty: lists 2–4 easier by .9, .9, and 2.6 points; lists 5 and 6 harder by .9 and 3.4 points. → Starch 1910

Evidence¶

Starch 1910¶

Starch, D. (1910). The Measurement of Efficiency in Spelling, and the Overlapping of Grades in Combined Measurements of Reading, Writing and Spelling. The Journal of Educational Psychology. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=The+Measurement+of+Efficiency+in+Spelling

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Equivalence study in which all grades were tested with list 1 on one day and another list the next, permitting direct comparison of lists 2–6 with list 1. Printed differences: list 2 is .9 point easier, list 3 .9 easier, list 4 2.6 easier, list 5 .9 harder, list 6 3.4 harder than list 1.

"These results showed that the lists are practically identical in difficulty, list 6 being slightly more difficult and list 5 slightly easier."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Two 100-word dictionary-sampled spelling lists administered to the same pupil yield scores agreeing within a mean variation of 2.2 points — related
• Wells' proposed equally-difficult easy list was not fully standardized, with sick, open, and glad producing non-uniform responses — related
• Prior spelling test lists (Ayres, Buckingham) are too easy for better pupils, with more than half of eighth-graders spelling all Buckingham list words correctly — related