The Use of Orthographic Knowledge in Beginning Reading

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between word recognition ability, knowledge of orthographic structures, and use of orthographic knowledge in word recognition. Fifty-six first and second graders were administered a word recognition test, two tests of orthographic knowledge, and two search tasks. The results indicated that when searching for multiple word targets children with word recognition levels of less than 2–2 searched similarly through all fields, whereas children with word recognition levels of 2–2+ searched faster through pseudowords and nonwords than through words. When searching for members of a category, children with word recognition levels below 2–1 searched faster through nonwords and pseudowords than through words providing no evidence for the use of orthography in word search. Children with word recognition levels above 2–1 searched faster through nonwords than through pseudowords and words, demonstrating a generalized effect of orthographic structure.

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