Domains Of Spelling Research Articles

Termos metalinguísticos e operações de natureza gramatical na escrita colaborativa dos alunos do ensino básico

Collaborative writing holds the potential to bringing references to language units and operations of language (re)construction to the surface in conversational interactions. The present study aims to trace the surfacing of metalinguistic terms during collaboration for textual production and to identify the nature of the operations performed. Methodologically, data were collected through audio-visual recording within the classroom with the same participants in two stages of schooling (grades 2 and 4). The analyses focused on the occurrence of metalinguistic terms and the domains to which they categorically belonged as well as on the discursive or grammatical nature of the operations of language re(construction). The results show that in both stages of schooling, the domains of spelling and punctuation were most prominent, along with the discursive operations. Also, a larger number of metalinguistic terms was identified in grade 4. Despite this predominance, the results also reveal the potential of collaborative writing to activating the explanation of metalinguistic knowledge, in association with operations of language (re)construction. Such potential may be reinforced by the teacher's clarifications during the writing process and by activities that review the grammatical choices and decisions made during the writing process.

Associations between selected dietary behaviours and academic achievement: A study of Australian school aged children

BackgroundResearch investigating the effects of dietary behaviours on children's academic achievement has predominately focused on breakfast consumption. The aim of this study was to conduct secondary analysis to examine associations between a range of dietary behaviours and children's academic achievement. MethodologyData on five dietary variables (fruit intake; vegetable intake; consumption of takeaway; sugar sweetened beverages; and breakfast) and scores in the five domains of a standardised academic achievement test known as NAPLAN (reading, writing, grammar/punctuation, spelling and numeracy) were obtained for Australian children aged 8–15 years in school grades three (n = 1185), five (n = 1147), seven (n = 1053) and nine (n = 860). Mixed linear models adjusted for socioeconomic status and gender were used to examine associations between dietary behaviours and academic scores. ResultsGreater consumption of vegetables with the evening meal (7 nights/week) was associated with higher test scores in the domains of spelling and writing (p=<0.01), with the greatest effect observed for spelling with a mean score difference of 86 ± 26.5 NAPLAN points between the highest and lowest levels of consumption (95% CI: 34.0–138.1; p=<0.01). Increased consumption of sugar sweetened beverages was associated with significantly lower test scores in reading, writing, grammar/punctuation and numeracy (<0.01). Principle conclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate dietary behaviours are associated with higher academic achievement. Future research should further explore relationships between a wide range of dietary behaviours and children's academic achievement.

Phono-morpho-orthographic construal: The view from spelling

A spelling model which has evolved in the parallel universe of spelling research resonates with Frost's reading model. Like reading, spelling cannot be based solely on phonology or orthography, but should accommodate all linguistic facets. The cognitive domain of spelling does not take place at the level of single grapheme or phoneme or syllable, but rather, at the lexical level.

Perceptions of Academic Performance

Children with academic and behavioral difficulties have been found to report overly positive self-perceptions of performance in their areas of specific deficit. Researchers typically investigate self-perceptions in reference to both actual performance and ratings by teachers, peers, and parents. However, few studies have investigated whether or not adolescents with difficulty report overly positive self-perceptions. The present study sought to investigate self-perceptions of performance in the domains of spelling and math among a sample of adolescents with and without learning disabilities (LD). A total of 58 adolescents with and without LD participated. Adolescents with LD significantly overestimated their performance in math relative to their actual performance, but not in spelling, reflecting the predominant difficulty of the sample in the area of math rather than spelling. In addition, the magnitude of the gap between math predictions and actual performance was significantly greater for the group with LD than the group without LD. Findings support the existence of positive illusions in specific areas of deficit.

Spell It Out: The Need for Detailed Spelling Assessment to Inform Instruction

Spelling is an important, but often overlooked, component of literacy instruction and development. Although it is related to other aspects of literacy, there are independent theories of spelling development as well as assessment and instructional strategies that align with these theories. This article summarizes the rationale for linking assessment and instruction within the domain of spelling and provides an overview of this special series on spelling assessment and instruction.

Distinctions between orthographic long-term memory and working memory

Research in the cognitive and neural sciences has long posited a distinction between the long-term memory (LTM) storage of information and the short-term buffering of information that is being actively manipulated in working memory (WM). This basic type of distinction has been posited in a variety of domains, including written language production—spelling. In the domain of spelling, the primary source of empirical evidence regarding this distinction has been cognitive neuropsychological studies reporting deficits selectively affecting what the cognitive neuropsychological literature has referred to as the orthographic lexicon (LTM) or the graphemic buffer (WM). Recent papers have reexamined several of the hallmark characteristics of impairment affecting the graphemic buffer, with implications for our understanding of the nature of the orthographic LTM and WM systems. In this paper, we present a detailed case series study of 4 individuals with acquired spelling deficits and report evidence from both error types and factors influencing error rates that support the traditional distinction between these cognitive systems involved in spelling. In addition, we report evidence indicating possible interaction between these systems, which is consistent with a variety of recent findings in research on spelling.

Emergence and progression of ‘non-semantic’ deficits in semantic dementia

Although semantic dementia (SD) is defined as a selective disruption of conceptual knowledge, a number of group studies have now demonstrated that SD patients also show impaired performance on tasks not usually considered to have a high semantic load (e.g., reading words aloud and lexical or object decision). The aim of the current study was to document the relative deterioration, over time, of a number of semantic and so-called ‘non-semantic’ tasks in LF, a single case of SD for whom – by virtue of his work as a published cartoonist – we also have extensive data regarding his pre-morbid linguistic and drawing skills. In five testing rounds over a period of five years we administered semantic tests of object naming and object definition (on both of which LF was progressively impaired, as expected for a diagnosis of SD), plus verbal and non-verbal ‘non-semantic’ tasks of reading aloud, spelling, object and lexical decision, and delayed copy drawing. Initially, his only striking ‘non-semantic’ deficit was in the domain of spelling – a pronounced surface dysgraphia in an individual with demonstrably superior pre-morbid spelling skill. Over time, and in line with his declining semantic system, LF's performance gradually deteriorated on all of the ‘non-semantic’ tasks. The most vulnerable items on most tasks were those with low frequency and an atypical form. This report adds to the growing body of evidence that a number of cognitive processes not usually considered to be ‘semantic’ in their demands rely on the integrity of semantic knowledge for successful execution. Furthermore, it provides the first indication that these non-semantic deficits might emerge in an order predictable from the typicality structure of the relevant domain.

Evolving spelling exercises to suit individual student needs

The principle of evolving educational content - stepwise and stochastic refinement of educational problems on the basis of a student's previous success - is extended and evaluated for the domain of spelling. Experimental results, generated by an implementation in a classroom setting, show that the principle of evolving educational content is not only sensitive to an individual student's ability but it also allows the student to take novel paths through an open-ended problem space. Learning outcomes are confirmed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and indicate that the technique transfers to a pedagogically challenging domain. We present how a problem space can be generated to effectively and automatically encompass a wider range of educational domains with little designer intervention.