Greek-spelling predictors; an investigation of literacy- and cognitive-related factors

Abstract

Greek spelling has been less explored than reading, and studies looking at predictors have primarily focused on phonological ability (PA) and rapid automatized naming (RAN). Few studies have been conducted on visual attention span (VAS), although there is growing acknowledgement that spelling involves processes other than phonological ones. We investigated single-word spelling accuracy cross-sectionally with 145 students attending Grades 1-to-7 in Greece. Regression analyses conducted found that only PA was a significant predictor for the beginner spellers after controlling for reading speed and chronological age. VAS and RAN were significant predictors in addition to PA for the advanced spellers. This suggests that phonological and visual processes are important as the children gain more spelling experience. Analyses of the effects on spelling accuracy of the item-related variables printed word frequency and phoneme-grapheme probability supported those obtained from the child-related analyses. The educational implications of the findings are discussed.