Spelling abilities of school-aged children with Williams syndrome.
Caroline Greiner de Magalhães, Cláudia Cardoso-Martins, Carolyn B Mervis
PMID 34875548WHAT IT FOUND
Children with Williams syndrome who learned to read through systematic phonics spelled significantly better than those taught other ways.
Spelling ability was strongly linked to reading skill, even after accounting for IQ, suggesting spelling instruction may support literacy development.
Key findings
01Systematic phonics instruction was associated with significantly higher spelling scores compared to other reading instruction methods, even after controlling for age and intellectual ability.
02Spelling ability and word-reading ability were very highly correlated, and this relationship remained strong even after controlling for overall intellectual ability.
03Spelling ability uniquely predicted word-reading ability beyond the effects of phonological awareness, vocabulary, and reading instruction method.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that phonics instruction causes better spelling or reading. The sample was not diverse, with most participants being White non-Hispanic and mothers having at least a bachelor's degree. Reading instruction methods were classified retrospectively based on available records, which may introduce bias. The Phonics group was significantly older and had higher intellectual ability than the Other group, although analyses controlled for these factors.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing financial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that spelling instruction alone will improve reading comprehension. This study shows a strong association between spelling and word reading, but it does not test the effect of spelling intervention on comprehension outcomes.