Spelling ability, its measurement and distribution . rface of frequency representsthe distribution of spelling ability in each grade, we shall nowseek to determine how difficult each one of the 50 words listed Scaling the Words 4i in Tables III and IV is for each grade. A word spelled by onehundred per cent of the pupils in, say, the 3d grade would haveno difficulty for that grade. The ability of all pupils would begreater than the ability required to spell it, and the entire areaof the frequency surface would lie above it—, to the right ofit. In Fig. 12, if OP represents the Probable Erro
Spelling ability, its measurement and distribution . rface of frequency representsthe distribution of spelling ability in each grade, we shall nowseek to determine how difficult each one of the 50 words listed Scaling the Words 4i in Tables III and IV is for each grade. A word spelled by onehundred per cent of the pupils in, say, the 3d grade would haveno difficulty for that grade. The ability of all pupils would begreater than the ability required to spell it, and the entire areaof the frequency surface would lie above it—, to the right ofit. In Fig. 12, if OP represents the Probable Error, it would belocated theoretically at an indefinite distance to the left of thepoint O, a distance, however, which we may for practical pur-poses call 5 or 6 times as great as OP—, 5 or 6 Aword spelled by 98 per cent of the pupils becomes more in-telligible. It would be located at a point K, a vertical at which(KL) would cut off 2 per cent of the area of the entire fre-quency surface. The point K will be found to be at a distance. Fig. 12. Normal Surface of Frequency. of about 3 below the median O, , at 3 A wordspelled by nobody—, a word rated at o—would be at, say,+ 6 , and a word spelled correctly by 50 per cent of thegroup would be located at the median O, that is, at a pointabove and below which are an equal number of cases. It will be interesting and will serve to show the misleadingcharacter of per cent ratings to observe what we mean bysaying that one word is more difficult than another. Observethe two following groups of words taken from Tables III and IVfor the 3d grade: (A) Per CentCorrect tailor 38 lesson 37 another 36 wear 35 (B) beautiful beginning telephone pigeons Per CentCorrect 42 Spelling Ability—Its Measurement and Distribution According to the ratings of these words the differences inpoint of difficulty between the words of group A are equal to thedifferences in group B, for the differences are all representedby
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