Analysis of spelling skills in children who are hard of hearing using multilinguistic coding

Spelling is one important component of written language that contributes to academic success in young students. Learning how to spell develops from awareness of sound information, written/print information, rules of language (e.g., present vs. past tense or singular vs. plural forms), and word meanings. It is critical to understand not only how typically developing children acquire spelling skills but also how children who do not follow typical patterns of development acquire these skills. Children who experience mild to severe hearing loss (children who are hard of hearing – [CHH]) are at risk for difficulties with both spoken and written language development as a result of reduced access to sounds. Given this risk, development of appropriate and robust spelling assessment methods for CHH are necessary to understand the trajectory of spelling development in this population and how it could affect their future academic performance.

In the present study, we used the multilinguistic coding (MLC) system to understand the quantity and types of spelling errors made by fourth grade CHH as compared to fourth grade children with normal hearing (CNH) on a spelling test. Results of the study showed that there were no differences in the number or type of spelling errors made between groups but that all students made significantly more errors of one type, which occurred in words that followed irregular spelling patterns. Future studies of the same populations over time are needed to provide a more detailed picture of spelling skill development among CHH and to further inform teaching strategies.