Spelling%20awareness%20affects%20spelling%20performance%20positively

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Spelling awareness affects spelling performance
positively

• Anna M. T. Bosman
• University of Nijmegen
• SSSR, Amsterdam
• June 27-30, 2004

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Spelling tasks reveal spelling awareness

• Study 1
• Thanks to Manuela Donderwinkel

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Participants
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Method

• Each student wrote an essay
• From each essay one correctly spelled and one
  wrongly spelled word was selected
• The set of correctly and wrongly spelled words in
  each grade were then presented to them in a
  writing-to-dictation task

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Performance comparison on dictation and essay
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Spelling performance
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Conclusions

• A quarter (26) of all spellings is unstable
  (Correct-Wrong of Wrong-Correct)
• Students spell better in a dictation task than in
  their essays, probably because
• the formal reading style aids the process
• Students make more errors in a dictation task
  than in their essays, probably because
• they are aware of what they know and what they do
  not know

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Enhancing spelling awareness

• Study 2
• Thanks to Raquel Paffen

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Participants
1 SpAw is level of spelling awareness Knows the
spelling and the word is spelled correctly
Does not know the spelling and the word is
spelled incorrectly
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Method

• Pre-test and post-test materials consisted of 200
  words selected from standardised Dutch spelling
  tests for Grades 2-6
• Training materials consisted of words from the
  language curriculum Taaltijd used in the
  classroom

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Increased spelling awareness
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Spelling performance
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Conclusions

• Spelling awareness
• can be enhanced in 8-year-olds (Grade 3)
• increases with the same amount in both good and
  poor spellers
• already improves slightly when just presenting a
  pre-test and a post-test (indicated by the
  results of the control group)

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Enhanced spelling awareness improves spelling
performance

• Study 3
• Thanks to Marieke Willemen and Janet van Hell

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Participants
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Method

• Each student wrote an essay
• Essays served as the starting point for the
  experimenter to discuss difficult aspects of the
  spelling of each of the students individually
• An individualised check list was made to aid the
  spelling-check task in subsequent training
  sessions.

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Results of regular-education students
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Results of special-education students
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Conclusions

• Spelling performance
• improves as a result of increasing awareness
• improves in students from regular education as
  well as in students from special education
• improves in regular-education students and not in
  special-education students, who are only asked to
  re-read their essays after completion

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Thus, spelling awareness

• is an implicit skill in regular and
  special-education students (Study 1)
• can be enhanced in students as young as 8 years
  (Study 3)
• improves in both good and poor spellers (Study
  2)
• improves in both spellers from regular and
  special education (Study 3)
• is positively related to spelling performance
  (Studies 2 and 3)

Thank you for your attention a.bosman_at_ped.kun.nl