Topp-Spell: Towards a developmental spelling model: Identification of cognitive precursors and processes underlying typical and atypical spelling acquisition in German

单词阅读和拼写技能代表了更高级的识字技能的基础，例如理解和产生书面文本。识字技能存在于日常生活中，这些技能方面的问题可能对职业生涯和个人福祉产生严重的负面影响。这两种基本识字技能（单词阅读和拼写）都是在小学早期获得的。然而，以往的研究主要集中在阅读发展方面，而对拼写发展的研究较少。这一点尤其成问题，因为流行率研究表明，阅读和拼写技能可以分开，而且只影响一个识字领域的缺陷发生的频率几乎与阅读和拼写问题结合在一起的频率一样。此外，阅读和拼写问题似乎与不同的风险因素和不同的文字处理问题有关。因此，从阅读研究的结果不能直接转移到拼写。在此背景下，目前的研究项目集中在拼写发展。该项目的目的是提高我们对典型和非典型拼写发展的基础和过程的理解。该项目由两个互补的部分组成：第一部分是一项纵向研究，评估从幼儿园结束到三年级中期拼写发展的认知基础。研究结果将提高早期识别儿童拼写问题的风险，并将告知预测和预测拼写发展过程中的变化。第二部分包括两个实验研究，重点是拼写加工，这是正确拼写单词的关键。这两项研究比较了有拼写问题和没有拼写问题的儿童的正字法处理。实验一包括一系列的学习实验，旨在考察正字法知识的习得。第二个实验研究探讨了神经生理学相关的正字法加工应用一种新的ERP范式，独立评估正字法和语音加工。第二部分中的两项实验研究旨在说明与拼写技能差相关的正字法处理缺陷。这两个项目的部分将允许识别潜在的典型和非典型拼写习得的发展途径，并确定与典型和非典型的正字法处理相关的过程。这些发现将为拼写发展的理论模型提供信息，并将改善早期识别有拼写问题风险的儿童以及在小学一年级的诊断。正字法处理缺陷的规范可以帮助开发更有针对性的干预方案，可能会增加干预效果。

Word reading and spelling skills represent the foundation for more advanced literacy skills, such as comprehending and producing written text. Literacy skills are present in everyday life and problems in these skills can have serious negative effects on professional careers and personal well-being. Both basic literacy skills (word reading and spelling) are acquired during the early primary school years. However, previous studies mainly focused on reading development while research on spelling development is scarce. This is especially problematic given that prevalence studies have shown that reading and spelling skills can dissociate and that deficits affecting only one literacy domain occur nearly as frequent as combined reading and spelling problems. Furthermore, reading and spelling problems seem to be associated with different risk factors and different problems in word processing. Thus, results from reading research cannot be directly transferred to spelling. Against this background, the current research project focuses on spelling development. The aim of the project is to improve our understanding of the foundations and processes underlying typical as well as atypical spelling development. The project consists of two complementary parts: Part 1 is a longitudinal study assessing the cognitive foundations of spelling development from the end of kindergarten to mid of Grade 3. Results will improve early identification of children at risk of spelling problems and will inform about predictors and changes of predictors during spelling development. Part 2 consists of two experimental studies and focuses on orthographic processing, which is crucial for spelling words correctly. Both studies compare orthographic processing in children with and without spelling problems. The first experimental study includes a series of learning experiments in order to investigate the acquisition of orthographic knowledge. The second experimental study examines the neurophysiological correlates of orthographic processing by applying a novel ERP-paradigm, which assesses orthographic and phonological processing independently. Both experimental studies in Part 2 aim to specify the deficits in orthographic processing associated with poor spelling skills. The two project parts together will allow to identify the developmental pathways underlying typical as well as atypical spelling acquisition and to identify the processes associated with typical and atypical orthographic processing. These findings will inform theoretical models of spelling development and will improve early identification of children at risk of spelling problems as well as diagnosis in the first primary school years. The specification of the orthographic processing deficits can help to develop more tailored intervention programs that are likely to increase intervention effects.