Spelling Error Analysis Research Articles

Spelling Errors in Children With Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss: Relations to Linguistic and Audiologic Factors

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the types of spelling errors made by children with mild to moderate hearing loss (CMMHL) compared with children with typical hearing (TH) and to determine if types of spelling errors were related to linguistic or audiologic factors. CMMHL and TH completed measures of spelling, spoken language, speech production, and reading. Children's spellings were coded for linguistic-based spelling errors using the Multilinguistic Coding System. The relation of types of linguistic spelling errors and children's performance on standardized language assessments, as well as audiologic factors, was evaluated. CMMHL did not make more spelling errors than TH; however, they exhibited a higher proportion of phonological awareness errors and a lower proportion of mental grapheme representation errors in their spellings. Phonological awareness errors and mental grapheme representation errors were related to relevant linguistic performance. Better-ear pure-tone average was related to total frequency of spelling errors and phonological awareness spelling errors, and better-ear Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) was related to semantic knowledge spelling errors. This study supports the use of linguistic spelling error analysis with CMMHL and provides evidence of the relation of types of linguistic spelling errors to linguistic knowledge and audiologic factors.

Spelling error analysis in young English language learners from a German background: A comparison of three literacy intervention programmes

Spelling error analysis in young English language learners from a German background: A comparison of three literacy intervention programmes

Spelling Error Analysis of Ghanaian Languages College of Education Students’ Essay

Spelling errors in students’ writing have become a burden for teachers and examiners of the Ghanaian languages. Every year, Chief Examiners of the Ghanaian languages lament bitterly in their reports about the inaccuracies students make with regard to spelling in their examinations without clearly indicating the kind of errors they make. As a result, this study investigated the frequency and types of spelling errors students of Ghanaian languages at the Foso College of Education make in their essays. Forty-five students took part in the study that utilized a descriptive qualitative approach. The data came from students’ mid-semester examinations. The findings revealed that students’ most prevalent spelling errors included sound-based substitution, writing rule-based, omission, addition, transposition, and multiple errors. Teachers are encouraged to give ample time or pay more attention to phonology and the writing rules of the language when teaching spelling because they were the most frequent errors found.

The Writing Process of Bilingual Students with Focus on Revisions and Spelling Errors in Their Final Texts

Research on writing that focuses on what writers do when they compose shows that processes such as planning, transfer to writing and editing are recursive and affect the writing process of first and second language writers differently. To our knowledge, what has yet to be explored in research is the writing process of young bilingual students. The present study focused on the revisions and spelling errors made by 9-year-old bilingual students during a writing activity in their L2. Details about the writing process (e.g., revisions) were taken from statistics registered in the keystroke logging program ScriptLog and were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the quantitative analysis show that the mean proportion of the students’ revisions is relatively low compared to results in previous research. The qualitative analysis showed both surface and meaning changes; the latter were found at both the micro- and macrostructural levels. Bilingual students exhibit a creative writing process in which several meaning changes occur in a language (in this case Swedish) that they are particularly competent in. The spelling error analysis indicated that the bilingual students make the same type of spelling errors as monolingual students in their initial stages of learning to write.

The Relation Between a Systematic Analysis of Spelling and Orthographic and Phonological Awareness Skills in First-Grade Children.

Purpose As an initial step in determining whether a spelling error analysis might be useful in measuring children's linguistic knowledge, the relation between the frequency of types of scores from a spelling error analysis and children's performance on measures of phonological and orthographic pattern awareness was examined. Method The spellings of first-grade children with typical spoken language skills were scored using the Spelling Sensitivity System (Masterson & Apel, 2010a); words were parsed into elements based on phonemes and then assigned a score based on the linguistic skills represented in the spelling. The children also completed more traditional measures of phonological and orthographic knowledge: an elision task and an orthographic pattern awareness task. Results There was a moderate negative correlation between number of elements omitted in the children's spellings (e.g., the child did not represent a phoneme with a letter[s] and performance on the phonological awareness task). There also was a moderate negative correlation between frequency of orthographically based spelling errors (e.g., spelling an element with a letter[s] that could never represent that sound in English) and performance on the orthographic pattern and phonological awareness measures. Conclusions These findings suggest that specific types of scores on the spelling error analysis provided information about the children's phonological awareness and orthographic knowledge. They also support continued investigations on the use of a systematic spelling error analysis for measuring phonological awareness and orthographic knowledge and highlight the potential utility of the analysis procedure in the educational setting.

Investigating the efficacy of using error analysis data to inform explicit teaching of spelling

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence supports the view that explicit teaching can make a positive difference to learning; however, further research is needed to understand the impact on learning to spell if spelling error analysis is used to inform explicit spelling instruction. This paper presents findings of an intervention study involving 572 students in Years 3 to 6 from 31 classes across four Australian schools. Fourteen teachers from two of the participating schools engaged in an intervention. This involved utilising spelling error analysis data to systematically plan and implement explicit and targeted spelling instruction. Sixteen teachers from the two comparison schools followed a “business-as-usual” pedagogy which appeared less targeted and explicit. Results indicate that all classes in the intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in spelling while only one comparison class demonstrated a statistically significant improvement. The promising findings highlight the power of using assessment-informed practices to explicitly teach spelling skills that are relevant to student needs.

The Impact of Different Writing Systems on Children's Spelling Error Profiles: Alphabetic, Akshara, and Hanzi Cases.

The importance of literacy in academics and the predominantly digital world cannot be understated. The literacy component of writing is less researched than that of reading, even though it holds equal significance for modern success. Spelling is an important aspect of the construct of literacy, and is more difficult to acquire than reading. Previous work on spelling error analysis for English provides insight into the sets of knowledge and cognitive processes required for children to perform the task, and their different strategies across development. However, different sets of skills and strategies may contribute to spelling across types of orthographies. In this study, we extend spelling error analysis to groups of biliterate children learning two scripts, which include English plus either: (a) another Latin-script alphabet with a shallow orthography (Malay); (b) a transparent alphasyllabary using akshara (Tamil); or (c) a non-alphabetic, morphosyllabic script using simplified hanzi characters (Mandarin Chinese). These sets of scripts vary in how speech is mapped to print. We utilized an error coding scheme based on triple-code theory to enumerate the occurrence of phonological, orthographic (graphemic), and morphological (semantic) types of spelling errors across the three language groups. Five hundred and sixty-eight Grade 1, 6-year-old children participated, with 128 English + Malay, 119 English + Tamil, and 321 English + Chinese children in each bilingual group. They completed a spelling to dictation task in their Asian language, with ten words taken from the grade level curriculum per language. Results indicate group differences in the proportions of error types, with more overall errors for Tamil, more phonological errors for Malay, and more irrelevant or non-sense words for Chinese. The implications are that different scripts present different challenges for young learners.

Spelling Acquisition in Spanish: Using Error Analyses to Examine Individual Differences in Phonological and Orthographic Processing

ABSTRACT This study examined Spanish spelling errors among 166 native Spanish-speaking students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 based on a spelling-to-diction task. Fifteen types of spelling errors were analyzed in a latent class analysis. Results suggested three phases of spellers: Phase 1 students had a high chance of committing almost all types of errors. Phase 2 students had a lower chance of committing vowel-based phonological errors, but still had a high chance of committing consonant-based phonological errors. Phase 3 students had some difficulty differentiating distinct but similar consonant sounds for spelling (e.g., spelling reptile [reptile] as rebtil; Diente [tooth] as viente). Among the word-context factors, syllable complexity and orthography difficulty were the best predictors of phonological and orthographic errors in more proficient spellers, respectively. We suggest that awareness of Spanish vowel and consonant sounds may not grow in tandem, and future research should incorporate word-context features into spelling error analysis.

A case study on the challenges of learning and teaching English spelling: insights from eight Australian students and their teachers

AbstractSpelling is a key transcription skill for writing. While little is understood about the particular challenges some students experience when learning to spell, explicit instruction is known to improve spelling performance. The study reported in this article draws on eight case studies from a larger Australian mixed‐methods study examining spelling acquisition, as represented by a stratified random sample of Australian students aged 8 to 12 years (n=1,198). This case study utilised Triple Word Form Theory for the spelling error analysis of dictated words, narrative and expository writing, as well as semi‐structured interview data from a randomly selected sample of low‐achieving spellers. Analyses of phonological, orthographic and morphological spelling errors revealed students' common and unique challenges in learning to spell. Qualitative analysis of semi‐structured interview data identified that the students lacked confidence in spelling, used limited strategies for spelling unknown words, and displayed constrained metalanguage associated with spelling. Interview data from the respective classroom teachers revealed that the teachers had inadequate strategies for teaching spelling and lacked confidence in their ability to teach spelling. The findings highlight the need for improved ways to support those students beyond the first few years of schooling who find learning to spell challenging.

Spelling error analysis of written summaries in an academic register by students with specific learning disabilities: phonological, orthographic, and morphological influences

Students in grades 5–9 (N = 29) with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) (dysgraphia, dyslexia, or oral and written language learning disability, OWL LD) were asked to take notes and handwrite or type summaries of social studies texts about world geography and cultures that they read or heard. This activity required activating knowledge of academic language for the disciplinary content. Fine-grained analyses of their spelling errors focused on the phonological, orthographic and morphological aspects of word spelling affected while writing in an academic register. Nonparametric statistical analyses revealed no significant differences attributable to SLD diagnosis or combinations of the mode of the source text (reading or listening) and transcription (handwriting with stylus or typing with keyboard). Students generated similar degrees of error complexity in their spelling errors when writing in this disciplinary academic register regardless of the nature of their SLD, mode of presentation of source texts, or mode of transcription. Three types of common misspelling patterns across SLDs, mode of presentation, and mode of transcription are described in this exploratory study. Instructional applications for teaching students with SLDs to spell words in English, a morphophonemic orthography, when composing in an academic register are discussed as well as proposed future research directions.

Spelling acquisition in French children with developmental language disorder: An analysis of spelling error patterns

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine spelling acquisition in French children with developmental language disorder (DLD) over a school year. Through a fine-grained spelling error analysis, we investigated whether spelling profiles could be established in the DLD population. This study comprised three groups: a typically developing (TD) group ( n = 16), a group of DLD children matched on spelling skills with the TD group ( n = 8), and a group of DLD children matched on chronological age and phonological awareness skills with their DLD peers ( n = 8), but showing weaker spelling skills. Results indicated that the DLD group matched on spelling skills with the TD group tended to produce more phonologically accurate spellings than the other DLD group. However, the two DLD groups did not differ on phonological awareness skills or vocabulary. Throughout the school year, the TD group and their DLD peers matched on spelling skills tended to add more silent letters in their spelling attempts than the other DLD group. With respect to phase models of spelling acquisition, our findings suggest that more advanced phases – like the orthographic and morphographic literacy phases – can be acquired even if the foundation processes are not well developed.

Arab ESL Secondary School Students’ Attitude Toward English Spelling and Writing

Learners’ attitude is considered a key motivational component and an important nonlinguistic factor that influences second-language learning. The primary aim of the current study is to explore Arab secondary school students’ attitudes toward English spelling and writing. To collect the data, a 52-item attitude questionnaire was administered to 70 Arab students studying English as a second language (ESL) in the Saudi School in Malaysia. The questionnaire comprises two scales: (a) attitudes toward English spelling and (b) attitudes toward writing in English that includes four writing purposes: (a) School Use, (b) Social Use, (c) Official Use, and (d) Creativity. The findings of the study revealed that the Arab ESL secondary school students have a high positive attitude toward English spelling and writing. The findings also indicated that the students’ attitude toward the Social Use of English is the highest, whereas their Creativity in writing is the least mean among the four purposes. In addition, the study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the students’ attitude toward spelling and writing. The findings suggest that English literature, that is, stories and literary activities, should be integrated in the curriculum to develop the students’ creativity in ESL writing. The study also recommends that other studies may investigate Arab students’ spelling error analysis as well as address other important aspects of writing such as brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing.

Translation Shift and Spelling Error Analysis found in the Indonesian Translation of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Translation Shift and Spelling Error Analysis found in the Indonesian Translation of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Acquired Dysgraphia in Arabic Orthography: A Case-Series Analyses

Acquired Dysgraphia in Arabic Orthography: A Case-Series Analyses

End-of-Kindergarten Spelling Outcomes: How Can Spelling Error Analysis Data Inform Beginning Reading Instruction?

ABSTRACTIn this study, we examined the spelling performance of 430 kindergartners, which included a high-risk sample, to determine the relations between end-of-kindergarten reading and spelling in a high-quality language arts setting. We described, analyzed, and compared spelling outcomes, including spelling errors, between good and poor readers. The findings suggest that not all of the children achieved the desired standard as outlined by the Common Core State Standards. In addition, not every good reader was a good speller, and not every poor speller was a poor reader. The study shows that spelling tasks that are accompanied by spelling error analysis provide a powerful window for making instructional sense of children’s spelling errors and for individualizing spelling instructional strategies.

Phonological Spelling and Reading Deficits in Children With Spelling Disabilities

Spelling errors in the Wide Range Achievement Test were analyzed for 77 pairs of children, each of which included one older child with spelling disability (SD) and one spelling-level-matched younger child with normal spelling ability from the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center database. Spelling error analysis consisted of a percent graphotactic-accuracy (GA) score based on syllable position and existence in English, and a phonological accuracy score (PA). The SD group scored significantly worse in the PA measure and nonsignificantly better than controls on the GA measure. The Group × Measure interaction was significant. Spelling matched pairs had very similar scores for word recognition and orthographic coding, but the SD group exhibited significant deficits in reading measures of phonological decoding and in language measures of phonological awareness.

Phonological Errors Predominate in Arabic Spelling Across Grades 1–9

Most of the spelling error analysis has been conducted in Latin orthographies and rarely conducted in other orthographies like Arabic. Two hundred and eighty-eight students in grades 1-9 participated in the study. They were presented nine lists of words to test their spelling skills. Their spelling errors were analyzed by error categories. The most frequent errors were phonological. The results did not indicate any significant differences in the percentages of phonological errors across grades one to nine.Thus, phonology probably presents the greatest challenge to students developing spelling skills in Arabic.

Reading and spelling error analysis of native

This study was an investigation of reading and spelling errors of dyslexic Arabic readers (n=20) compared with two groups of normal readers: a young readers group, matched with the dyslexics by reading level (n=20) and an age-matched group (n=20). They were tested on reading and spelling of texts, isolated words and pseudowords. Two research questions were the focus of this study: What are the reading and spelling profile errors of dyslexic native Arabic speakers? What is the effect of the Arabic orthography on these types of errors? The results of the reading error analysis revealed a clear contribution of the uniqueness of the Arabic orthography to the types of errors made by the three different groups. In addition, the error profiles of the dyslexic readers were similar to the error profiles made by the younger reading-level-matched group in percentages and in quality. The most prominent types of errors were morphological and semiphonetic, which highlighted the contribution of the Arabic orthography to these types of errors. Consistently, the profile of the spelling errors was similar in percentages and quality among the dyslexics and the reading-level-matched group but different from the age-matched group on the spelling measures. The analysis of the spelling errors revealed that the dominant type of error was mostly phonetic due to the limited orthographic lexicon. In addition, the Arabic orthography also contributed to these types of errors because many spelling mistakes were made due to poor knowledge of the spelling rules. The results of the reading and spelling errors are discussed from a reading development point of view. Further, two models are suggested, one for reading and one for spelling, to illustrate the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and spelling mistakes in this type of orthography.

Spelling Error Patterns of Normal, Learning-Disabled, and Underprepared College Writers

The spelling performance of normally achieving, learning-disabled, and underprepared college writers was examined across three measures to determine which, if any, measures were effective in differentiating among the three groups. The types of spelling errors made by each group also were examined. Results indicated that the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised spelling subtest effectively distinguished among groups, while the other measures only distinguished between adequate (normal) and poor (learning-disabled and underprepared) writers. A modified version of Cromer's spelling error analysis was applied to a spontaneous writing sample and revealed no significant group differences with respect to type of spelling error between normal and underprepared writers. However, significant differences were found between the learning-disabled writers and both the normal and underprepared writers on all the spelling error types except spelling-rule errors.

Orthographic Problem-Solving

Spelling-error analysis can produce intervention techniques that may promote greater generalization of spelling skills for problem spellers.