Spelling processing during handwriting and typing and the role of reading and visual-motor skills when typing is less practiced than handwriting

Abstract The automatization of handwriting and typing is sustained by both sensorimotor linguistic abilities that support the integration central-linguistic processes with modality-specific peripheral-motor programs. How this evolves when and, especially, not fully automatized has been well-understood yet. In present work, we had two main aims: (1) to understand how spelling processing affects word production in a sample 9th-grade Italian students who have extensive practice but less experience typing, (2) unveil if reading visual-motor skills writer/typists role integrating motor execution. Thirty-six participants handwrote typed dictation words pseudowords different lengths orthographic complexity. To test during collected measures latency (RTs)—i.e. interval between spoken stimulus availability starting write—, interletter mean—i.e., mean intervals consecutive letters—, whole response duration—i.e. execution time entire stimulus. We further assessed participants’ analyze their impact on chronometric as function proprieties stimuli. Our findings show pattern for handwriting, process our participants, which stronger lexical sublexical effects emerged. Furthermore, interacted differently transcription modalities unveiling individual according typing.