Oxford

Exploring Spelling Evolution and Educational Approaches to Dyslexia

HUNTSVILLE, USA

JULY 25, 2025

Exploring Spelling Evolution and Educational Approaches to Dyslexia

Date:

July 25th, 2025 (UTC -5)

Organizer:

Sam Houston State University

Symposium Chair:

Prof. Enrique Mallen
Professor in Sam Houston State University

Personal Bio:

Dr. Enrique Mallen obtained his Ph.D at Cornell University. He regularly teaches courses on language, art and culture. He is Director of the Online Picasso Project. He has published extensively on language, art and literature. Among his most recent publications are the books Eduardo Espina: Poesía del Deslenguaje (2024), Pablo Picasso: A Period of Transformation (1906–1916) (2023), Pablo Picasso and Dora Maar: A Period of Conflict (1936–1946) (2021) and Pablo Picasso: The Aphrodite Period (1924–1936) (2020).

Background:

Reading and language processing are impacted by dyslexia, a specific learning disability whose effects can vary significantly depending on the language. Orthographic Transparency is one aspect that contributes to this phenomena. Spanish is considered a fairly transparent language with a stable letter-sound relationship, meaning that spelling problems may manifest differently than in languages with less consistent spelling patterns. However, Spanish speakers with dyslexia often struggle with spelling, particularly with longer and less common words, as well a few irregularities still present in the language. Identifying the origin of these irregularities and addressing them in the learning process would be helpful to students with dyslexia.

Goal/Rationale:

Some languages have a more stable relationship between letters and sounds (phonemes) than others. Languages with more regular spelling restrictions, such as Spanish, are regarded as more transparent. In contrast, English contains several inconsistencies that can make reading difficult for dyslexics. Nevertheless, Spanish has some areas where spelling is not as unambiguous. That is, even though Spanish spelling is generally thought to be more consistent than English spelling, there are still some complexities that can make it difficult for dyslexic learners, such as silent letters, a few instances where the same letter combination can produce different sounds depending on the word; and dialect-specific pronunciation variations. Some key issues with Spanish spelling are: "C" pronunciation variations; "G" pronunciation variations; “H” always being a silent letter; “U" being a silent letter in some instances; "B" and "V" having the same pronunciation; plus dialectal variations in the pronunciation of “C”, “Z” and “"LL". We look at the historical roots of these spelling inconsistencies and propose potential exercises to help dyslexic students cope with them.

Call for Papers:

  • The historical evolution of spelling across languages
  • The interconnection between spelling transparency and dyslexia
  • Ways to cope with dyslexia across languages
  • Issues with learning a foreign language with dyslexia

    • Topics:

    The main topics of this symposium are listed below.

    Pedagogy
    • Digital Pedagogy and E-Learning
    • Sports Pedagogy and Physical Literacy
    • Inclusive Education and Social Learning
    • Trauma-Informed Teaching
    • Collaborative Learning Strategies
    • Experiential and Cooperative Pedagogy
    • Differentiated Learning Approaches
    • Gamification in Education
    • EdTech and Artificial Intelligence in Learning
    • Mindfulness in Education
    • STEM and STEAM Education
    • Culturally Responsive Teaching
    • Assessment for Learning
    • Multisensory and Physical Education
    Culture & Sociology
    • Digital Sociology
    • Sociology of Climate Change
    • Migration and Globalization
    • AI and Society
    • Sociology of Technology
    • Social Media Impact
    • Post-Colonial Sociology
    • Sociology of Mental Health
    • Inequality and Social Justice
    • Gender Studies in Sociology
    • Core Fields (e.g., Theoretical Sociology, Historical Sociology)
    • Specialized Areas (e.g., Urban Sociology, Criminology, Rural Sociology)

    Meanwhile, submissions aligned with the overall conference theme are also welcome.

    Political Science
    • International Relations and Global Governance
    • Political Economy and Digital Finance
    • Climate Policy and Environmental Politics
    • Cybersecurity and Digital Governance
    • Human Rights and Migration Policy
    • Political Philosophy and Ethics in AI
    • Public Policy and Social Movements
    • Political Polarization and Media Influence
    • Public Administration and Domestic Policy
    Laws
    • Cyber Law and Digital Privacy
    • AI Ethics and Intellectual Property
    • Environmental Law and Climate Policy
    • Human Rights and Social Justice
    • Labor Law and Gig Economy
    • Consumer Protection and Data Security
    • Criminal Law and Digital Crime
    • Property Law and Blockchain Applications
    • Public Health Law and Policy
    • Media Law and Freedom of Information
    Sports Sciences
    • Exercise Physiology and Performance Optimization
    • Sports Nutrition and Metabolism
    • Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
    • Strength and Conditioning Techniques
    • Ethics in Sports and Fair Play
    • Human Kinetics and Motor Skills
    • Sports Sociology and Cultural Identity
    • Gender Studies in Sports
    • Inclusion and Accessibility in Sports
    • Mental Health in Competitive Sports
    • Sports Policy and Governance
    • Sports Psychology and Motivation

    Submission:

    All submitted papers should report original and unpublished work, experimental or theoretical, and are not under consideration for publications elsewhere. All papers should be no less than 4 pages in length and must strictly follow the format of the symposium template. All papers are subject to reviews and edits. Prospective authors are kindly invited to submit full text papers that includes title, abstract, introduction, tables/figures and references. Other styles of papers are not accepted. Please submit your papers in both .doc/.docx AND .pdf formats as attachments via email to  [email protected]  by the given deadline. It is unnecessary to submit an abstract in advance.

    Paper Template

    Publication:

    Accepted papers of the symposium will be published in  Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media  (Print ISSN 2753-7048), and will be submitted to  Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI), Crossref, CNKI, Portico, Google Scholar  and other databases for indexing. The situation may be affected by factors among databases like processing time, workflow, policy, etc.

    The papers will be exported to production and publication on a regular basis. Early-registered papers are expected to be published online earlier.

    This symposium is organized by ICGPSH 2025 and it will independently proceed the submission and publication process

    Ways to Participate:

    Attendance Onsite

    The symposium welcomes participants to attend on-site and share the innovative experiences and researches with the group. Therefore, we provide some general information about the visa application. If you want to attend the symposium on-site, please email the symposium committee: [email protected]

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    • NOTICE:

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