L’appropriation des connaissances visuo-orthographiques par des élèves de la première à la quatrième année du primaire

Reading and writing are fundamental skills for school learning. Learning to spell represents a major challenge for many pupils, whether they have a learning disability or not. Yet, the growth of spelling skills is closely associated with reading and writing development. The French spelling system, due to its structure and its opacity, requires that learners amass knowledge about the phonological properties of words, and also their morphological and visual properties, to succeed in reading and spelling all words. Research has shown that the visual properties of words, which can be classified according to forms of visual-orthographic phenomena, represent orthographic properties which are particularly difficult to master in the primary grades. Furthermore, working memory and processing speed are required for processing the orthographic components of words. Empirical data have shown that memory and rapid naming abilities are linked to reading and spelling performance. The general goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which visual-orthographic processing, phonological and visual memory, and rapid naming performance play a role in the reading and spelling performance of 119 pupils enrolled in the first to the fourth grade of primary school. The specific objectives were to describe their overall performance, examine the relationships among the variables being studied, and identify which one(s) best explain(s) reading and spelling performance.  A word recognition task, a reading comprehension task, and a spelling production task were administered to assess reading and spelling skills. A matching test in which nonword sequences were presented orally and a matching test with visual sequences as stimuli were used as phonological and visual memory measures. A rapid object-naming task (R.A.N.) and a rapid color-naming task were used as measure of processing speed. To observe their visual-orthographic processing skills, the participants were given a word-pseudohomophone choice task and retrieval tests (oral and written).  Results indicated that visual-orthographic processing skills increased with grade level. Correlational analyses revealed that grade was related to each variable, that reading and spelling skills were linked to each other, and that visual-orthographic processing skills appeared to be the variables most strongly correlated to reading and spelling skills. Regression analyses indicated that grade level best explained performance in spelling production, word recognition, and reading comprehension and that the word-pseudohomophone choice task represented the only variable making an additional and significant contribution to reading and spelling performance. These results suggest that the visual properties of words should be taught in class so as to support the development of learners’ reading and spelling skills. It should be the subject of future research intending to explain how these properties are acquired and develop.

Keyphrases: Orthography, Spelling, Reading, Orthographic processing, Rapid naming (R.A.N.), Working memory