Examining the Quick Spell Test : how does it relate to phonological processes, naming speed, orthographic processing, and reading?

Abstract

I examined the relationship between performance on the Quick Spell Test (Bowers, 1996) and reading ability in an archival sample of Grade 3 (N = 192) and Grade 4 (N = 149) children from Kirby, Parrila, Deacon, and Wade-Woolley’s (2004-2007) longitudinal study. The data included a battery of phonological awareness, naming speed, phonological decoding, orthographic processing, and reading ability measures administered in both grades. I found that the Quick Spell Test was a good concurrent predictor of reading ability in Grade 3, but not a good longitudinal predictor. Orthographic processing and phonological decoding were consistently good predictors of the relationships between the Quick Spell Test and reading ability and of the difference in variance between the Quick Spell Test subscales.