Orthographic Learning of Inconsistent Non-Words in Good and Poor Spellers: Linking Dictation and Eye-Tracking Measures

The French writing system contains numerous phoneme-to-grapheme inconsistencies that vary in their properties and distribution across words. These inconsistencies represent a major challenge for children learning to spell, especially for poor spellers or children with dyslexia-dysorthographia. To our knowledge, no study has examined how inconsistencies shape orthographic learning using both eye-movement data and dictation performance, in children with good and poor spelling skills. In this eye-tracking study, twenty French-speaking children aged 9 to 12 (good spellers: n = 10; poor spellers: n = 10) learned the spelling of six bisyllabic non-words containing an inconsistent syllable across three learning cycles while we recorded their eye movements. One week later, children completed delayed dictation and recognition tasks assessing long-term consolidation and retrieval. Both groups improved their spelling accuracy and exhibited shorter and fewer fixations across learning cycles, reflecting progressive orthographic learning. However, poor spellers fixated more often and longer on the inconsistent syllable and demonstrated weaker long-term retention, suggesting a less holistic encoding and difficulties consolidating orthographic representations over time. Future research should examine whether these learning patterns generalize to real words, classroom contexts, and to children with dyslexia-dysorthographia across broader learning conditions.