Children with hearing loss face a variety of developmental challenges in the domains of language and literacy, including spelling. The purpose of the proposed study is to investigate the impact of linguistic sources of knowledge on spelling among children with hearing loss, utilizing a multilinguistic analytic approach that reflects recent theoretical and empirical understandings. Specifically, misspelled words generated by children in second and fourth grade during a sentence writing task will be analyzed using a framework of analysis that separately analyzes the phonological (speech sound), orthographic (written representation), and morphological (word meaning) contributions to spelling. In study 1, group differences will be examined based on hearing status (children with normal hearing vs. hearing aids) and grade level (2nd and 4th). In study 2, group differences will be examined based on device use (children with normal hearing vs. hearing aids vs. cochlear implants). The multilinguistic framework of analysis has the potential to reveal underlying linguistic causes of spelling difficulties, which could drive tailored spelling interventions for students with hearing loss, as well as other written language disorders.
Contact Person
Nancy Quick, PhD Candidate nancy_quick@med.unc.edu
Investigators and Key Personnel
Nancy Quick, Principal Investigator