Faculty of Education - Theses

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Start date: 1960 × End date: 1979 × Type: Masters Coursework thesis × Author: Becroft, John ×

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    Home environment, spelling ability and types of spelling errors
    Becroft, John ( 1978)
    This study sought to investigate spelling ability and types of spelling errors, and their relationships with home environment, as a means to finding ways in which parents and teachers can improve the spelling achievement of children. The sample consisted of 230 Grade 6 pupils in Canberra, who were given tests relating to spelling, reading and intelligence, and whose parents were interviewed to obtain information on their home environment. These test and questionnaire data were collected by Keeves (1972), but re-analysed and refined as part of the present study. For example, errors on the spelling test were classified into six types, such classification proving highly valid and reliable. Path analysis models were the basic tool used to investigate propositions. Each model included sex, three dimensions of home environment - home structure, parental attitudes and home processes, and a criterion drawn from spelling ability and the six spelling error types. To investigate other propositions groups were formed whereby spellers of different ability were grouped according to the extent of their reading or intellectual abilities. A major result was that the home environment dimension of home processes was shown to have greater effect on spelling ability than either home structure or parental attitudes. A number of positive methods were revealed by which parents and teachers could influence home processes, and hence spelling achievement. For example, parents could 'hear' their children read regularly, (say) nightly from their school readers, whilst teachers could make sure children borrowed school library books to read at home. Significant group differences were revealed for the five major spelling error types, and for a number of home environment variables. A sex difference was found showing that not only did girls appear to be superior spellers to boys on total spelling errors, but that they made less errors of each spelling error type.