Variation is the Spice of Spelling: The Effect of Implicit Cues on Dutch Past Tense Spelling is Dependent on Age, Literacy, and Task Format

Spelling is influenced by implicit cues, but less is known about variability in this reliance. We assessed whether the influence of three implicit cues on Dutch past tense spelling was moderated by grade, literacy, and format. An Auditory infinitive, Written infinitive, and Picture+cloze format was completed by 68 third-graders and 47 sixth-graders. The implicit cues voicing probability and token frequency affected accuracy, especially in Grade 6 and in children with higher literacy skills, and in the picture+cloze task format. This shows that there is a variety of implicit cues that contribute to children’s spelling. This variability in reliance on implicit cues is shaped both by child ability as well as by task format.