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Orthographic learning during reading: examining the role of self-teaching
Anne E Cunningham1, Kathryn E Perry, Keith E Stanovich
1University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. acunning@uclink .berkeley.edu
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|July 3, 2002
Summary
Second graders demonstrated orthographic learning by reading pseudowords in stories. This learning correlated with decoding accuracy, suggesting reading acquisition is supported by self-teaching mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- The self-teaching theory posits that children learn to read through their own efforts, particularly by decoding unfamiliar words.
- Orthographic learning, the ability to recognize and process the visual form of words, is crucial for fluent reading.
- Understanding the factors influencing orthographic learning in early readers is essential for effective reading instruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the self-teaching theory of early reading acquisition in second-grade children.
- To investigate the relationship between decoding pseudowords in context and orthographic learning.
- To examine the predictive roles of decoding ability, rapid automatized naming (RAN), general cognitive ability, and orthographic knowledge in orthographic learning.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-four second graders read target homophonic pseudowords within real stories.
- Orthographic learning was assessed using three converging tasks: homophonic choice, spelling, and target naming.
- Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were employed to determine the predictors of orthographic learning.
Main Results:
- All three assessment tasks indicated that orthographic learning occurred, with superior processing of target homophones compared to controls.
- A significant correlation (r=.52) was found between orthographic learning and the number of target homophones correctly decoded during story reading.
- Orthographic knowledge predicted orthographic learning, even after accounting for decoding ability, while RAN and general cognitive ability did not.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the self-teaching hypothesis, demonstrating that children can acquire orthographic knowledge through reading practice.
- Decoding ability plays a role, but orthographic knowledge development is not solely dependent on decoding skills.
- The study highlights the importance of both decoding and orthographic knowledge in early reading acquisition.