Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools Vol.42 592-603 October 2011. doi:10.1044/0161-1461(2011/10-0085)
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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Tutorial

What Is Orthographic Knowledge?

Kenn Apela
a Florida State University, Tallahassee

Correspondence to Kenn Apel: kenn.apel{at}cci.fsu.edu

Purpose: Orthographic knowledge refers to the information that is stored in memory that tells us how to represent spoken language in written form. Unfortunately, terms used to talk about orthographic knowledge and the two individual components that contribute to it have varied widely in the literature. Thus, consensus on the term, its meaning, and the tasks used to assess orthographic knowledge is needed.

Method: In this tutorial, the problems and inconsistencies in terms and tasks used to define and measure orthographic knowledge are reviewed, and suggestions for using specific terms are offered. Additionally, orthographic knowledge development, considerations of its role in literacy development, and its independence from other factors that contribute to literacy development are discussed. Finally, ideas for overcoming current obstacles in discussions of orthographic knowledge and suggestions for future research endeavors are offered.

Conclusion: With consensus on what orthographic knowledge is and how it should be measured, practitioners should be better prepared for assessing orthographic knowledge and implementing instructional practices accordingly.

KEY WORDS: mental graphemic representations, orthographic patterns, orthographic knowledge, orthographic processing, orthotactics


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