The Relationship of Knowledge of Orthographic Structure to Developing Reading Ability

In the present study, a possible relationship between reading level and sensitivity to orthographic structure was explored. An examiner-designed test of reading level was administered to the subject, who were in the second semester of first and second grade. Fifty-two subjects were selected who read on the 12,21,22 reading level. Subjects were then tested for sensitivity to orthographic structure. Finally, subjects were told to search through fields of words, pseudowords, and nonwords looking first for three target words and then for members of the category animals. Search times were compared across reading levels and search task. Results showed that subjects on a higher reading level searched most quickly through nonword fields, but search times were compared across reading levels and search task. Results showed that subjects on a higher reading level searched most quickly through nonword fields, but search time was not significantly different between pseudowords and words. Lower-level readers showed no significant difference in search times between speudowords and nonwords. This indicated that high-level readers had generalized knowledge of orthographic structure, whereas less able readers had not yet made the generalization