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

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. We conducted regression analyses for the beginner and more advanced spellers separately. We found that only PA was a significant predictor for the beginner spellers after controlling for reading speed and chronological age. For the more advanced spellers, VAS and RAN were significant predictors in addition to PA. The outcome suggests that as the children gain more spelling experience, phonological and visual processes are important. 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

Dyslexia's diagnostic lottery: a call for better parent-school partnerships

There is an increasing focus in psychology (and the media) on the social struggles faced by school-age dyslexia sufferers, and the battle for diagnosis often faced by their parents. Joshua McFadden and Dr Georgia Niolaki discuss some of the support offered to families, and how it can be improved through more equitable distribution and stronger parental advocacy. They encourage a more holistic teacher-parent-learner approach to dyslexia

More than phonics: visual imagery and flashcard interventions for bilingual learners with spelling difficulties

A great deal of research has been invested in literacy acquisition and the reasons why literacy acquisition is a complex process for some. Spelling research and successful interventions have mainly focused on English speaking children, although a significant number of studies have addressed writing systems other than English in recent years (O’Brien et al., 2020). Understanding literacy acquisition and language performance not only in monolingual children (Pan, Rickard and Bjork, 2021) but also in bilingual children is important, as bilingualism and biliteracy are becoming the norm rather than the exception (Kormos, 2017). Transfer effects between languages can affect the way we learn to spell (Niolaki and Masterson, 2012). Transfer effects are meant to be the bi- or unidirectional influence of language and cognitive skills between the languages a learner is literate in (Figueredo, 2006; Koda, 2008). In addition, usually, interventions target phonological ability, but these are not always effective for older learners or individuals who do not have a phonological difficulty (Niolaki, Masterson and Terzopoulos, 2014). We present the successful interventions we conducted with bilingual and monolingual learners targeting spelling and using visual imagery and flashcard techniques. We also discuss the importance of a detailed background assessment of the languages the individual is literate in, in order to tailor effective intervention. We hope that specialist dyslexia assessors and tutors will find these techniques helpful, and these will serve as an alternative way to strengthen spelling in multilingual and monolingual learners

Intervention for a visual attention span processing deficit in a Greek-speaking child with slow reading speed

We present the case of TN, aged 9;11, a monolingual Greek-speaking girl with accurate but slow word and non-word reading. Neuropsychological assessment revealed a selective deficit in visual attention (VA) span tasks. TN had previously taken part in a spelling intervention targeting whole word processing and, although her spelling improved, at the end of the programme her reading remained slow. In the present study, we assessed TN in a lexical decision task with semantic primes, and she showed reduced semantic priming in relation to typically developing readers. TN took part in an intervention aimed at mitigating the VA span processing deficit and similar to a programme previously conducted with a twelve-year-old Greek-speaking boy, RF ([author(s)], 2013). Post-test results for TN revealed a significant improvement in letter report ability as well a reduction in word reading latencies; semantic facilitation was also observed in the priming task following the intervention, although differences were not significant. The results indicate, in line with previous research, an association between visual attention span and reading speed

Eastern European parents' experiences of parenting a child with SEN in England

Parenting a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN) presents numerous challenges for families. For immigrant parents, these challenges can be particularly difficult to overcome when faced with structural, cultural and linguistic barriers. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 8 Eastern European immigrants parenting a child with SEN in England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a data-driven thematic analysis of a series of interviews was carried out. The study identified two key themes: (a) embarking on an unpredicted journey and (b) navigating through challenges. The analyses highlight discrepancies in partnership working between parents and educators and shortcomings in advice that professionals provided to these parents, potentially placing pupils and their families at a disadvantage. The implications for educational psychologists (EP) and other professionals working with Eastern European parents raising a child with SEN are also discussed

What spelling errors can tell us about the development of processes involved in children’s spelling

Introduction: Spelling is an essential foundation for reading and writing. However, many children leave school with spelling difficulties. By understanding the processes children use when they spell, we can intervene with appropriate instruction tailored to their needs. Methods: Our study aimed to identify key processes (lexical-semantic and phonological) by using a spelling assessment that distinguishes different printed letter strings/word types (regular and irregular words, and pseudowords). Misspellings in the test from 641 pupils in Reception Year to Year 6 were scored using alternatives to binary correct versus incorrect scoring systems. The measures looked at phonological plausibility, phoneme representations and letter distance. These have been used successfully in the past but not with a spelling test that distinguishes irregularly spelled words from regular words and pseudowords. Results: The findings suggest that children in primary school rely on both lexical-semantic and phonological processes to spell all types of letter string, but this varies depending on the level of spelling experience (younger Foundation/Key stage 1 and older Key stage 2). Although children in younger year groups seemed to rely more on phonics, based on the strongest correlation coefficients for all word types, with further spelling experience, lexical processes seemed to be more evident, depending on the type of word examined. Discussion: The findings have implications for the way we teach and assess spelling and could prove to be valuable for educators