Abstract

In Argentina, many children growing up in poverty contexts attain extremely low levels of spelling despite attending school. This performance is usually attributed to individual differences. However, response to intervention models emphasize that low levels of literacy acquisition cannot be ascribed to constitutional factors before providing children with systematic learning opportunities. A quantitative study was conducted in order to explore response to intervention in a group of 192 students from poverty contexts who attended between 3rd and 6th grade in elementary school in the years 2018-2019, but could not correctly spell, in average, more than one word. Children participated in an average of 24 sessions of a teaching program that emphasized reading and spelling acquisition. Children's word spelling knowledge was tested before inclusion in the program and again at the end of the school year. 74% of the children exhibited a level of progress that suggests that their previous difficulties were basically related to instructional variables. Post-test spelling scores showed significant and negative correlations with age and grade (older children in higher grades experienced reduced advances respective to younger peers) and positive correlations with the number of teaching sessions they participated in. The results suggest that children's previous difficulties were mostly related to learning opportunities rather than individual deficits.

Keywords Spelling; pedagogical intervention; primary education; poverty