Sensitivity to orthotactic rules in visual word recognition by below average readers

The study reports 2 lexical decision experiments on below average readers' sensitivity to Basic Orthographic Syllabic Structure (BOSS) of Taft in visual word recognition. In Experiment 1, 20 words and 20 pseudo words with BOSS and non-BOSS conditions (e.g., tractOR, tracTOR; BLUNDin, BLUNdin) were presented on a microcomputer screen to 75 grades 4, 5, and 6 poor readers divided into poor reading/spelling subgroups. ANOVA of the correct reaction time scores shows significant main effects for grade, reading/spelling subgroup and lexicality with both word and pseudo word BOSS condition being the most discriminating. Experiment 2 provides a stronger test for the BOSS parsing principle with 48 items of correctly affixed real words (e.g., reTURN), pseudo-affixed words (e.g., ENTer), and incorrectly affixed pseudo words (e.g., AVOIDer) presented on the microcomputer screen for lexical decision. The target subjects were 20 grade 6 and 22 grade 7 below average readers compared with 23 above average chronological age control readers in each of the same grades 6 and 7. ANOVA results of the correct RT scores show significant main effects for reding level and affixation condition with the correctly affixed BOSS condition being the most discriminating. Taken together, the 2 experiments suggest that children are sensitive to the BOSS parsing principle and this could be used in promoting word knowledge.