A study of invented spelling and developing orthographic concepts in Japanese

Abstract

This study examines the developmental stages of spelling ability focusing on the learning process of the Japanese orthographic system for native speakers of Japanese. After first providing a basic explanation of the Japanese orthographic system, issues regarding the acquisition of Japanese spelling are discussed. Next, in order to clarify the acquisition of writing skills in the introductory stage of Japanese spelling, data from prior case studies and this investigation are examined. From these results, a new proposal for developmental stages of orthographic concepts is suggested. This study also examines strategies of invented spelling and the relationship between developmental stages and learning ages. Children had learned a considerable amount of hiragana spelling before entering first grade, and by the end of first grade (late March) had reached the point where they were mostly able to write phrases in both hiragana and katakana. The developmental stages were as follows:

Stage1: Hiragana spelling not yet acquired

Stage2: Hiragana spelling acquisition (unvoiced, voiced, semi-voiced)

Stage3: Hiragana spelling acquisition (special syllable markers)

Stage4: Katakana spelling acquisition (unvoiced, voiced, semi-voiced)

Stage5: Katakana spelling acquisition (special syllable markers)

Stage6: Combined usage of hiragana and katakana acquisition

Stage7: Kanji spelling not yet acquired (includes kanji learning stages).