The use of different spelling strategies among EFL young learners

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of children's spelling strategy use in the primary levels of learning English. It also compared the use of these strategies in good and average spellers with those of poor spellers. The participants of this study were 32 Iranian children at the first stages of learning to spell rated as being either low, average, or above average spellers. The children were asked to spell 20 words in a dictation. They were observed while spelling and were asked about the strategy they used to spell each word immediately after spelling. The results showed that retrieval was the most frequently used strategy by the participants most frequently used by the participants followed by sounding out and analogy. Considering the use of strategies in good, average, and poor spellers, it was concluded that the most common strategies for spelling were used more often by good and average spellers and less often by poor spellers.