A Developmental Study of the Processing of Orthographic Information in Children with Varying Reading Ability.

A study investigated the development of information processing as it relates to the development of reading skills by studying how good readers and poor readers utilized orthographic information. Subjects, 90 good and poor readers from grades 2, 4, and 6, participated in four :.',0-minute sessions in which they were required to make a same/different judgment after the presentation of two letter-strings were displayed successively on the computer monitor. An analysis of variance on the accuracy and latency measures indicated: (1) orthographic information continued to develop throughout grades 4 and 6; (2) poor readers were less skilled than good readers in orthographic information usage and made more phonemic, visual, and letter-order errors; (3) all subjects were affected to some degree by the greater load placed on working memory by longer letter-strings; and (4) the role of visual processing in orthographic information usage was further supported by the results obtained on a multiple regression which included cognitive, linguistic, visual processing, and memory test ieasures. (Six tables and 12 figures of data are included; 15 references are attached.) (RS) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. ******************************9:**************************************** A Developmental Study of the Processing of Orthographic Information in Children with Varying Reading Ability Evelyne Corcos Department of Curriculum Dale M. Willows Department of Special Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference, Austin, Texas, November 29, 1989. 2 "1,11MIS!;ION TO REPRODUGE 'THIS MATIRIAL HAG BUFN GRANTED BY TO TM. 1,01I(.iATIONAI. I.f.R01111C;I:8 INFORMATION CANTER (ERV))." U.S. OF.PARTMIENT OF FDUCATION )ff I( a (>1 f du; ithoili4114640141ch end Imomverneni EI/UCATIONAI Hl SOi INFORMATION Cl N (URIC) fl This document has been reproduced req pived from the person or orpailitation encpnatinp I tl Minor i hanpes have been made to improve ieuroductroh Quality l'oihIS (PkIPW (Ipli)10119 S)110(11ri docil itirifil do mil neceSprily represent offs c ial DUNI position (if poll 4'