Visual and auditory skills of grade three boys whose spelling errors have been classified as either visually or phonetically based
Date
1974
Authors
Herring, Everett John
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Abstract
Spelling errors were classified as being of two main types. With some exceptions, those graphemes which could stand for a particular phoneme, but were incorrect for the specific word, were classed as visually based errors. Those errors where the grapheme could not stand for the required phoneme were classed as phonetically based errors.
The questions considered were as follows; Will visual type spelling errors, when considered as individual phonemes, as entire words, or as the percentage of total errors be significantly correlated with the visual skills of: visual memory for word forms, visual memory for geometric forms and visual sequential memory? Will phonetic type spelling errors, when considered as individual phonemes or as entire words, be significantly correlated with the skill of auditory discrimination?
Thirty grade three boys were selected on the basis of their poor performance on the spelling subsection of the Wide Range Achievement Test. These boys were then given a battery of visual and auditory skill tests.
Using the spelling errors, (as made by the student and classified by the researcher) as the dependent variables and the skill tests as the independent variables, a stepwise regression analysis was conducted. This analysis yielded seven significant simple correlations, but there were no significant multiple correlations.
The correlations were significant between the test of visual memory for word forms and: 1.) the number of words phonetically wrong , 2.) the number of phonetic type errors, and 3.) the percentage of errors which were visually based. The correlation between the number of errors on the test for visual memory for geometric forms and the percentage of words which were visually wrong was also significant. The correlations between the score on the test of visual memory for geometric forms and; 1.) the percentage of visually based errors, 2.) the percentage of words visually wrong, and 3.) the number of words phonetically wrong were significant. These correlations were all significant at the .05 level of probability.
Visual memory for word forms and visual memory for geometric shapes, appear to be significantly correlated with the type of spelling errors made by children. Auditory discrimination and visual sequential memory, as tested in this study, do not appear to be correlated with the types of spelling errors made. The person who remembers what he sees, as tested in this study, can apparently remember phonetic generalizations. It does not necessarily follow that he can remember whether the generalization is appropriate for the present word. The person who cannot remember what he sees, as tested in this study, apparently cannot remember even potentially useful phonetic generalizations.