The learning effectiveness of written structural approches to reading and writing words. Intervention study in first school year

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Melanie Bangel; Professorin Dr. Astrid Müller
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 461773871

The poorly convincing reading and spelling performance of primary school children in Germany illustrates the enormous empirical and teaching-related need for research on the acquisition of written language. There is still a lack of studies that could prove whether or even to what extent particular didactic concepts support written language learning better than others. It is also unclear whether and in what way the didactic concepts have an influence on learning to read and to spell words. The project aims to close this research gap. An intervention study will be carried out to investigate whether pupils (intervention group: n = 300) who learn to read and spell words with a focus on the structure of the writing syllable from the very beginning in lessons can improve their performance in reading and spelling words better and faster than pupils who receive learning in lessons that follow a primarily quantity and segment oriented approach (control group: n = 300). The teachers of the intervention group should arrange their lessons on the basis of teacher trainings and materials, which follow the concept of focusing on the structure of written language. Thus, their learners will gain insight into the orthographic structural patterns and be able to use them. In the control group, the initial phase on traditional written language instruction takes place to the same extent (October to June 45 min per teaching day). This group uses materials and tasks that are oriented towards the segmental analysis and synthesis of words as well as the recording of phoneme-grapheme correspondence and the memorisation of spelling. The teachers of the control group are also supported in expanding their professional knowledge through teacher training - the focus here is on the theoretical and didactic implications of a segment-based approach. The performance development of the intervention and control group is compared in a pre-post-follow-up design. A partial sample will be used to check whether the acquired knowledge is transferable to spelling words in one's own texts. In addition, it should be clarified whether appropriate metacognitive knowledge is shown in situations in which the children explain the spelling of words.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants