小学儿童英语正字法技能的发展及其在单词阅读中的作用

为系统探讨正字法技能不同成分的发展特点及其在英语单词阅读中的作用，对小学一、三、五年级共110名儿童施测英语正字法规则意识、正字法模式建构技能、正字法编码技能、单词阅读以及一般认知能力和英语语音意识测验。结果表明：（1）汉语儿童的英语正字法技能各成分随年级显著增长，各成分间及其与一般认知技能、语音意识的关系存在年级差异；（2）控制年龄、一般认知能力和语音意识后，正字法技能在三、五年级仍对单词阅读有显著的独立解释作用，且其独立贡献率高于语音意识；（3）进一步控制其他正字法技能成分后，正字法规则意识以正字法模式建构技能为完全中介间接地作用于单词阅读，正字法模式建构技能在三、五年级都仍对单词阅读有显著的独立解释作用，正字法编码技能在五年级中能显著地独立解释单词阅读的部分变异。

The Development of Various Orthographic Skills and Their Roles in Learning to Read in English among Chinese Elementary School Students

The development of various orthographic skills and their roles in learning to read in English among Mandarin-speaking children were examined by testing 110 students from Grades 1,3 and 5 on the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, English orthographic coding, English orthographic structure awareness, English orthographic image, English phonological awareness and English word reading. Results indicated that: (1) English orthographic skills significantly increased with grade. In Grade 1 there were no significant correlations among English orthographic skills and phonological awareness; in Grade 3, orthographic skills correlated with each other significantly, and among which orthographic image and orthographic structure awareness significantly correlated with phonological awareness ;in Grade 5, orthographic image significantly correlated with the other two skills, while only orthographic image significantly correlated with phonological awareness;(2) after controlling for age, nonverbal IQ and phonological awareness, English orthographic skills accounted for unique variances of word reading in Grades 3 and 5, even more than what phonological awareness did; (3) after controlling for other skills, orthographic image still significantly accounted for unique variances of word reading in Grades 3 and 5.Orthographic coding skill significantly accounted for unique variances of word reading in Grade 5. In contrast, orthographic structure awareness had indirect effects on word reading, fully mediated by orthographic image. The findings suggest more attention may be paid on orthographic skills when instructing Chinese children to read in English.