Spelling errors of normal and disabled students on achievement levels one through four: Instructional implications

The errors of 72 disabled and 90 normal spellers were compared on the first through fourth levels of achievement using a featural system based on developmental spelling research. The mean age of the disabled subjects was two to three years higher on all levels (the differences were significant) but, of 24 error features on the four levels, F-tests showed that the groups differed only on Front Vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/), particularly the combination of in as in chin, with the normal group making more errors. Discriminant function analysis showed that the error features which significantly discriminated between the two groups at Level 1 were Consonant Digraphs, Affricates, and Front Vowels. On Level 2, the dominant variables contributing to the significant discriminant function were Front Vowels, consonant doubling and "e-drop" errors, and suffix errors. The normal group made more errors on all but the last. There were no significant differences on Levels 3 and 4. Discriminant analysis among the four levels for the normal group showed that the incidence of lower-level spelling features declined steadily as spelling achievement level increased. A similar trend but less significant variability was found among the disabled group levels. These results suggest that the strict phonetics-based instruction used with the disabled group contributes to their relative proficiency on the lower level spelling features but that the meaning, orthographic, and derivational conventions of more advanced spelling should be emphasized when designing instruction at achievement Level 2 and above.