![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
Abstract
The main aim of this study was to develop standardised tests that assess some of the most important spelling skills for children in primary school: sound-letter mappings (non-lexical spelling) and word spelling accuracy (lexical spelling). We present normative comparison data for children in Grades 1–7 as well as measures of validity and reliability for both tests. Another aim of this study was to assess the relative prevalence of spelling difficulties that only affect one skill selectively (only lexical or only non-lexical spelling) or both. We found that throughout Grades 1–7, children were as likely to have selective as they were to have mixed difficulties. This underscores the importance of measuring lexical and non-lexical skills separately. The tests presented in this paper provide teachers and clinicians with the necessary tools to do exactly that.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by an ARC Discovery Grant to the first and last authors [DP110103822]. The first author was funded by a Macquarie University Research Fellowship. The last author was funded by an ARC Future Fellowship. We would like to thank the students, their teachers and schools for their participation in this research. We also thank our testers.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Further details of the scoring decisions and cut-offs are available from the first author.