Morphology and spelling in the process of learning to write in elementary school

a study in light of Karmiloff-Smith's Representational Redescription model

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2025.1.47902

Keywords:

morphology, spelling, writing, elementary education

Abstract

This article, which focuses on the relationship between orthography and morphology in the learning of writing in Brazilian Portuguese, aims to analyze how morphological knowledge guides students' graphic choices in cases of homophonic structures, namely the derivational morpheme -ice and the verbal ending -sse, in order to reflect on the type of access to knowledge related to this level of grammar. The discussion is based on data from 3rd, 5th and 9th grade students from a municipal public school, collected from two instruments: a writing test developed for the study and a clinical interview. The results of the writing data are treated quantitatively, and the responses obtained in the interviews are used as input for qualitative analysis guided by Karmiloff-Smith's Representational Redescription Model (RRM) (1986, 1992). The results show that, as the grades progress, explicit access to morphological knowledge of the language increases, which contributes considerably to the production of correct spellings and, consequently, to learning spelling, thus demonstrating the importance of the role of schooling in the language teaching-learning process.

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Author Biographies

Tamires Pereira Duarte Goulart, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPEL), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Supervising Professor at the Department of Education of Canguçu/RS. PhD in Education (UFPEL). Post-doctoral researcher in Inclusive Special Education (UFPEL). Master's degree in Applied Linguistics (UCPEL). Bachelor's degree in Letters - Portuguese/English. Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy. Trainer in courses for teachers, with themes in the area of ​​Education on Literacy, Early Childhood Education, Inclusion, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. She worked as a state trainer for LEEI-Sul. Her research interests lie in the area of ​​language acquisition, especially the acquisition of phonology and morphology of spoken and written languages, and in interdisciplinary research in education that includes literacy, alphabetization, learning difficulties and acquisition of the written system of the Portuguese language, neurodevelopmental disorders, early childhood education, and inclusive classroom practices. Author of the didactic material Trilhas PARC-RS, from the Alfabetiza Tchê/RS Program.

Ana Ruth Moresco Miranda, Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL), Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Full Professor at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL). Holds a Bachelor's degree in Letters from UFPEL, and a Master's and Doctorate in Letters from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). Completed postdoctoral studies in Linguistics at the University of Barcelona (2014) and the University of Lisbon (2024) on Language Acquisition (writing and phonology). Works in the Postgraduate Programs in Education and Letters at UFPEL, conducting research on writing acquisition, primarily on orthography and its relationship with phonology. Has experience in the areas of Linguistics and Education, with an emphasis on Psycholinguistics, working mainly on the following themes: phonology acquisition, writing acquisition, language acquisition, phonology, and mother tongue teaching. Coordinator of the Study Group on Written Language Acquisition (GEALE).

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Published

2025-12-19

How to Cite

Pereira Duarte Goulart, T., & Moresco Miranda, A. R. (2025). Morphology and spelling in the process of learning to write in elementary school: a study in light of Karmiloff-Smith’s Representational Redescription model. Letrônica, 18(1), e47902. https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-4301.2025.1.47902

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2025): Single Volume - Continuous flow

Section

Seção Livre

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Copyright (c) 2026 Tamires Pereira Duarte Goulart, Ana Ruth Moresco Miranda

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