Verbs Are Tricky: Does Orthography Support Verb Identification in Typically Developing Children Ages 3–8?

Purpose: This study examined whether orthographic representations—seeing a printed word while hearing it—facilitate verb identification accuracy in typically developing children and whether developmental or literacy factors modulate this effect. Method: One hundred eight English-speaking children ages 3–8 years (M = 5.86) completed a web-based verb learning task through Children Helping Science . Participants were randomly assigned to an orthography-present or orthography-absent condition while learning six novel verbs paired with dynamic action videos. Accuracy during a two-alternative forced-choice test was coded from parent-verified pointing responses. Caregivers completed a literacy interest questionnaire, and children completed a letter–sound correspondence task. Multilevel logistic regression models examined predictors of verb identification accuracy, accounting for individual variability. Results: Overall mean accuracy was 78%. Orthography did not significantly affect verb identification accuracy, and none of the orthography interactions with age, letter-sound correspondence, or literacy interest reached significance. Age was the strongest and only consistent predictor: older children showed higher odds of correct responses (≈36% increase per year). Letter–sound correspondence and caregiver-reported literacy interest predicted accuracy in single-predictor models but not after controlling for age. Random intercepts revealed substantial individual variability not explained by measured predictors. Conclusions: Orthographic facilitation did not extend to verb learning in young children, suggesting that its benefits may be domain-specific or developmentally constrained. These findings refine theoretical accounts of literacy–language integration and identify boundary conditions under which orthographic cues may or may not support word learning, informing early literacy and AAC intervention design.