Effectiveness of spelling treatment approaches for learners with dyslexia – A meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the efficacy of spelling interventions for the remediation of dyslexia and spelling deficits. Theoretically important moderators, such as the treatment approach as well as orthographic and sample characteristics, were also considered. Thirty-four controlled trials that evaluated spelling interventions in children, adolescents and adults with dyslexia and spelling deficits were included. Results show that treatment approaches using phonics, orthographic (graphotactic or orthographic phonological spelling rules), as well as morphological instruction had a moderate to high impact on spelling performance. A significant influence of interventions that teach memorization strategies to improve spelling could not be confirmed. This work shows that understanding the principles of an orthography is beneficial for learners with dyslexia or spelling deficits and presents key components for effective spelling intervention.

Dyslexia and English as a Foreign Language in Norwegian Primary Education: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study

“…Considering the relatively short duration of the intervention (only eight lessons), it can be concluded that this evidence provides a positive outlook for incorporating MSL methodology while teaching dyslexic students. Other studies that have investigated the use and effects of MSL and phonological interventions in spelling skills strongly indicate that dyslexic learners can increase their spelling abilities (Galuschka et al, 2020;Lim & Oei, 2015;Nijakowska, 2010;Snowling et al, 2020). The findings are also in agreement with the consensus that dyslexic learners require specific interventions to compensate for their deficits (Kormos, 2017, p. 118).…”

“…In general, dyslexic students require specific interventions to develop their literacy (Nijakowska, 2010). While reviewing and analysing an extensive list of previously conducted intervention studies, Galuschka et al (2020) found that children who took part in spelling interventions improved their spelling skills substantially compared to children who attended regular lessons. The relationship between phoneme and grapheme should be made explicit in any intervention (Montgomery, 2006), while special emphasis should be placed on spelling, which seems to be a persistent difficulty for dyslexic learners, including those in Norway (Helland & Kaasa, 2005).…”

“…Various researchers and practitioners stress the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for dyslexic pupils, as it can be beneficial for learning EFL and can improve motivation (Galuschka et al, 2020;Helland, 2012;Kormos & Smith, 2012;Pfenninger, 2016). ICT was found to be useful for pupils while practising spelling (Philips & Kelly, 2016).…”

Annual Research Review: Reading disorders revisited – the critical importance of oral language

“…Space precludes a comprehensive review of reading interventions, however, as might be expected from the theoretical framework presented here, children with dyslexia benefit from teaching that directly targets word‐level decoding as well as underlying skills (spelling‐sound relationships and phonological skills, see Galuschka et al, 2019; McArthur et al, 2018 for reviews). There is also some evidence that, for children with dyslexia, interventions to improve their decoding problems lead to improvements in reading comprehension (since for these children the principal limiting factor for comprehension is their low level of reading accuracy).…”

Promoting Foundation Reading Skills With At-Risk Students

“…These findings provide the theoretical motivation for early reading intervention programs ( Hatcher et al, 2006 ; Suggate, 2016 ). The most successful reading intervention programs combine phonological awareness training with structured reading explicit instruction (e.g., Hatcher et al, 1994 ; Lovett et al, 2003 ; Hatcher et al, 2006 ; Snowling and Hulme, 2011 ; Galuschka et al, 2019 ) using self-correction strategies ( Williams et al, 2016 ). A meta-analysis assessment of the long-term effects of phonemic awareness shows that the impact of phonemic awareness interventions was maintained along the time and transferred to non-targeted skills such as letter-sound knowledge with consequences on reading comprehension ( Suggate, 2016 ).…”