Sharp et al used a microgenetic study (i.e., capturing detailed information on a small sample of subjects) to show that students use multiple strategies at the same time in spelling. This is in contrast to the more usual stage model in which students progress from one stage in their spelling ability to another. Reality, apparently, is messier than that:
…the use of a variety of strategies occurred not only all along the developmental continuum but across 89% of the individual spelling trials. [Strategies include:]
Complete retrieval = Accessing spelling features from memory to correctly spell words
Partial retrieval = Accessing partial spelling features from memory to spell words incompletely
Guessing = Choosing a string of letters with no phonological or morphological logic
Sounding out = Using phoneme to grapheme matching
Rule use = Applying orthographic rules to help spell words
Analogy = Using another word to help spell a current word
Visual checking = Perceptually checking a word to see if it looks right
Copying = Visually consulting a visible source
Chunking = Using common letter patterns to help spell unfamiliar words
Sharp, A.C., Sinatra, G.M., & Reynolds, R.E. (2008). The Development of Children’s Orthographic Knowledge: A Microgenetic Perspective. Reading Research Quarterly, 43 (3), p. 206 -226.
Findings also suggested that strategies improve along with phonics knowledge:
…we interpret the results of the feature error analysis as indicating that knowledge of orthographic understanding supported an increase in more sophisticated strategy use, and more sophisticated use allowed feature knowledge to become more efficient.
Sharp, A.C., Sinatra, G.M., & Reynolds, R.E. (2008). The Development of Children’s Orthographic Knowledge: A Microgenetic Perspective. Reading Research Quarterly, 43 (3), p. 206 -226.
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