Reading Ability and Orthographic Structure

Abstract

It has been well-documented that orthographic structure (spelling constraints) contributes to the perceptual processing of letter strings. The present paper continues this study by exploring the relationship between utilization of orthographic structure and reading ability. Fourth-graders of varying reading ability were given pairs of letter strings and asked to pick the string that most resembles English spelling. The letters strings were varied systematically in terms of lexical status, frequency of sublexical patterns, and rule-based regularity. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between reading ability and appropriate decisions about English spelling. Some constraints in English spelling are mentioned along with some suggestions about how classroom practice might be modified to facilitate the child’s understanding of orthographic structure.