This article considers the differences between good and poor spellers. The
article is organized into four basic sections that consider the factors inv
olved in learning to spell and the relationship between reading and spellin
g, spelling ability in good and poor readers, the good reader-poor speller
paradox, and individual differences in good and poor spellers. The major co
nclusion reached in this article is that spelling is just as much a languag
e-based skill as reading. Individual differences in spelling ability are th
e result of differences in the knowledge and use of sound-spelling informat
ion rather than differences in visual memory abilities. Poor spellers may r
ely more on visual strategies than good spellers, but this is only because
of their limited phonological knowledge.