Difficultés d’acquisition de l’orthographe et régulations métagraphiques

The aim of this article is to present the result of the practice of so-called «metagraphic explanations» and the observation of how schoolteachers «negotiate» problem-solving in French spelling with their pupils. Conceptualised by the researchers of the Group LEA (Jaffré, 1995), the «metagraphic explanations» designate «the comments which precede, accompany or follow written productions of learners in a more or less differed manner» (p. 137). The type of responses given just after metagraphic explanations of learner-writers by the teacher are analysed as «metagraphic regulations». The purpose is to complete the approach of the LEA Group concerning learners without difficulties. Nevertheless, general difficulties with French spelling occur with all learner-writers due to the complexity of this specific alphabetic writing system, we were interested in applying the same approach with slow learners acquiring literacy. In turn they were asked what they have to say about their own written productions. In particular, the aim is to examine whether using metagraphic explanations combined with teachers’use of metagraphic regulations is also beneficial to children with severe spelling problems.