About this Research Topic

Background

This Research Topic aims to gather a collection of articles dealing with issues related to spelling in as many orthographic systems as possible. Our ultimate goal is to intensify discussions about the specific and universal underpinnings for spelling acquisition and development.

During the last decades, a large body of theoretical and empirical works having spelling as its central object of study has been built. Still, the majority of conclusions emerging from this research is grounded on findings from English-speaking populations. Notwithstanding the importance of those results, a deeper understanding of spelling acquisition and development calls for a broader approach, capable of systematizing similarities and differences across orthographies and, consequently, reflecting on the language specificity versus universality of the processes involved in spelling.

To that end, the purpose of this Research Topic is to assemble works focused not only on alphabetic orthographies with varying orthographic consistency (Finnish, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, English, etc.), but also on non-alphabetic orthographies, such as morphosyllabic (e.g., Chinese), or consonantal (e.g., Hebrew). Contributions focused on spelling in a large variety of languages are therefore welcome. Among others, submitted articles may focus on the following topics, taking either theoretical or empirical approaches:

• Spelling acquisition and development across different orthographic systems;
• Spelling performance of children and adolescents with and without difficulties;
• Developmental patterns of spelling skills;
• Factors influencing or being influenced by spelling performance;
• Spelling knowledge and strategies;
• Comparison of different spelling profiles;
• Spelling attainment in bilingual learners;
• Role of phonology, orthography and morphology in spelling;
• Association of spelling with reading (e.g., decoding, comprehension, etc.);
• Association of spelling with writing (e.g., handwriting fluency, text production, etc.);
• Role of spelling in models of reading and writing;
• Direct and indirect instructional approaches to spelling.

Given the increasingly globalization of research and development, along with the vast proliferation of information technology communications, the time seems right for this Research Topic. Assembled works will certainly allow for new insights into spelling processes specific to the properties of different orthographies as well as common to all of these.

Image Credit: Eugénio Levandeira

Keywords: Spelling acquisition and development, literacy, spelling predictors and outcomes, spelling instruction, cross-languages comparisons

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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