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The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent reading in a transparent orthography

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Abstract

The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent second grade reading in Finnish, a transparent orthography, was assessed by lexical decision and naming tasks. Typical readers did not show reliable word length effects in lexical decision, suggesting establishment of parallel letter processing. However, there were small effects of word syllable structure in both tasks suggesting the presence of some sublexical processing also. Dysfluent readers showed large word length effects in both tasks indicating decoding at the letter-phoneme level. When lexical access was required in a lexical decision task, dyslexics additionally chunked the letters into syllables. Response duration measure revealed that dysfluent readers even sounded out the words in phoneme-by-phoneme fashion, depending on the task difficulty. This letter-by-letter decoding is enabled by the transparent orthography and promoted by Finnish reading education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, and Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Jarkko Hautala

  2. Department of Education, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Mikko Aro

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Kenneth Eklund & Heikki Lyytinen

  4. Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen

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  1. Jarkko Hautala
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Correspondence to Jarkko Hautala.

Appendix: List of experimental items

Appendix: List of experimental items

Naming, words

4L2S: lelu, pipo, naru, poro, rapu, sora, mopo, mato, kynä, lasi, sade, kala, juna, vene, kisa, mäki, susi, loma, meri, rivi, raja, veli, koti, valo, kivi, 6L2S: koukku, munkki, nilkka, kurkku, kaivos, lautta, piippu, suihku, lamppu, kuoppa, mainos, patsas, rengas, verkko, kiekko, myrsky, puisto, kerros, leikki, vanhus, taivas, hammas, luonto, kirkko, kauppa, 6L3S: seteli, pusero, pisara, kipinä, vasara, sipuli, peruna, kitara, veturi, meteli, kävely, puhelu, kamera, satama, kanava, ikkuna, mitali, tavara, enkeli, matala, paperi, kaveri, numero, mukava, tarina.

Naming, pseudowords

4L2S: heku, sito, salu, toso, sanu, kopa, lovo, rapo, pylä, jati, tame, jatu, tusa, seke, mila, pähi, luti, tova, sesi, lini, laha, resi, hopi, naro, pini, 6L2S: jousku, kulkki, kiikka, sunkku, haipos, vausta, tiilpu, luisku, talppu, nuuppa, tainos, lattas, pentas, teekko, hiesko, kyysky, vuinto, pertos, reiski, nantus, malvas, jasmas, ruusto, niikko, launpa, 6L3S: keveli, lutero, mikara, liminä, pavara, tiluri, kevuna, pikara, sepuri, hekeli, rätely, muselu, pahera, malama, japava, okkina, nirali, sapara, ankila, rakala, naseri, naveli, tupero, suhava, hapira.

Lexical decision, words

4L2S: hame, havu, latu, maha, tori, mehu, mono, muna, muru, namu, pomo, romu, räme, sumu, papu, vesi, talo, raha, kone, käsi, pora, kylä, levy, lumi, katu, 6L2S: vaippa, veitsi, viitta, viikko, viesti, heikko, sääntö, käärme, miekka, hiekka, laukku, kaappi, toukka, keitto, kioski, kortti, kyltti, liekki, niitty, pensas, piikki, pultti, reitti, teltta, turkki, 6L3S: kolari, lattia, ritari, tivoli, väline, salama, terävä, sokeri, sekava, kamala, ämpäri, kypärä, lokero, pipari, kotelo, hunaja, rypäle, majava, lakana, sopiva, vakava, sanoma, matala, ystävä, tarina,

Lexical decision, pseudowords

4L2S: läte, junu, nalu, hepi, rano, lata, roje, pähi, vola, mykä, jery, ruvi, raku, pale, jatu, hapu, kaja, nosi, seku, romo, vuha, luvu, tasu, soko, kopu, 6L2S: leisto, tooski, soltti, nyrtti, keekki, tiitta, tenpas, huikki, tuntti, leisti, kertta, sulkki, haappa, reetsi, piirta, seikko, kiesto, jeikku, läänti, täisme, vienka, leekka, sausku, taalpi, routka, 6L3S: motero, tovake, voselo, ruhaja, kytäle, patava, sapana, rokiva, lapava, kaloma, rasala, ästivä, sapina, posari, sartia, linari, nitoli, närine, tanama, melävä, hoperi, lemava, parala, amperi, nykärä.

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Hautala, J., Aro, M., Eklund, K. et al. The role of letters and syllables in typical and dysfluent reading in a transparent orthography. Read Writ 26, 845–864 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9394-3

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