Spelling accuracy and students with visual impairments: A quantitative and qualitative approach of spelling errors

The present study investigates braille spelling accuracy in forty-nine Greek students with visual impairment in relation to students' type of blindness, age at loss of sight, level of education and educational setting, via a standardized test, which evaluates spelling accuracy in Greek language. Miscue analysis revealed that participants performed a statistically significant number of etymology type errors in braille spelling. Moreover, adventitiously blind students and students who were taught braille in primary mainstream educational settings performed significantly larger number of etymological type of errors compared to the rest of the participants. Qualitative analysis of spelling errors may help special teachers to perceive more profoundly the nature and characteristics of etymology errors, in order to implement effective strategies in instruction.