Spelling Pronunciation and Visual Preview Both Facilitate Learning to Spell Irregular Words

Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com

Y

18

Reading Skills; Spelling; Pronunciation; Orthographic Symbols; Phoneme Grapheme Correspondence; Computer Assisted Instruction; Indo European Languages; Teaching Methods; Age Differences; Foreign Countries; Writing Skills; Elementary School Students; Grade 3; Grade 5; Grade 6

10.1007/s11881-006-0013-3

0736-9387

Spelling pronunciations are hypothesized to be helpful in building up relatively stable phonologically underpinned orthographic representations, particularly for learning words with irregular phoneme-grapheme correspondences. In a four-week computer-based training, the efficacy of spelling pronunciations and previewing the spelling patterns on learning to spell loan words in Dutch, originating from French and English, was examined in skilled and less skilled spellers with varying ages. Reading skills were taken into account. Overall, compared to normal pronunciation, spelling pronunciation facilitated the learning of the correct spelling of irregular words, but it appeared to be no more effective than previewing. Differences between training conditions appeared to fade with older spellers. Less skilled young spellers seemed to profit more from visual examination of the word as compared to practice with spelling pronunciations. The findings appear to indicate that spelling pronunciation and allowing a preview can both be effective ways to learn correct spellings of orthographically unpredictable words, irrespective of age or spelling ability. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

Author

29

2007

EJ772502