Unpacking the unique relationship between set for variability and word reading development : Examining word and child-level predictors of performance

Set for variability (SfV) is an oral language task that requires an individual to disambiguate the mismatch between the decoded form of an irregular word and its actual lexical pronunciation. For example, in the task, the word wasp is pronounced to rhyme with clasp (i.e. /wæsp/), and the individual must recognize the actual pronunciation of the word to be /wɒsp/. SfV has been shown to be a significant predictor of both item-specific and general word reading variance above and beyond that associated with phonemic awareness skill, letter-sound knowledge, and vocabulary skill. However, very little is known about the child characteristics and word features that affect SfV item performance. In this study, we explored whether word features and child characteristics that involve phonology only are adequate to explain item-level variance in SfV performance or whether including predictors that involve the connection between phonology and orthography explains additional variance. To accomplish this, we administered the SfV task (N = 75 items) to a sample of grade 2–5 children (N = 489), along with a battery of reading, reading related, and language measures. Results suggest that variance in SfV performance is uniquely accounted for by measures tapping phonological skill along with those capturing knowledge of phonology to orthography associations, but more so in children with better decoding skill. Additionally, word reading skill was found to moderate the influence of other predictors suggesting that how the task is approached may be impacted by word reading and decoding ability. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: Set for variability (SfV) is a powerful predictor of word recognition skill in developing readers. The measure taps children’s ability to go from the decoded form of a word (e.g., /wʌz/for was) to the correct form (e.g., /wɒz/ for was), which is considered an important second step in word decoding. In the current study, we worked to determine what factors lead to variability in children’s ability to perform the task. We found that performance on the SfV task was highly correlated with children’s phonemic awareness skill and also related to their reading and decoding skill. This suggests that children with advanced reading and decoding skill may be using both phonological and spelling skills to go from the decoded form of a word to the correct pronunciation. The findings suggest that further studies evaluating the causal influence of SfV on reading development are warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)