English Orthography: A Contributor to Spelling Difficulties of Young Dyslexic Learners in Nigeria

Abstract

Dyslexia is a neurobiological disorder that causes reading and spelling challenges in affected individuals. It is incurable but the affected can learn how to read and spell if they undergo special intervention sessions. However, it has been discovered that despite undergoing intervention programmes, many of dyslexic learners of English continue to encounter difficulties with developing these language skills. The aim of this study is to discover if the orthography of English contributes to spelling challenges faced by dyslexics in Nigeria. Data were collected from English essay writing exercises of four dyslexic learners in three privately owned secondary schools in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Thirty-seven words that were wrongly spelt were selected from the learners’ essays and qualitatively analysed through the lens of Velluntino et al. (2004) Phonological Coding Deficit theory. Findings revealed that the misspelt words were those that reflected the inconsistency in English spelling patterns. The study concluded that the inconsistency in English orthographic system is a major contributor to the spelling challenges faced by young dyslexic learners in Nigeria.