the chapters in this volume focus on one important aspect of writing: spelling. there has been much less research on spelling and writing than on reading, and these papers represent an attempt to restore the balance. the papers, by some of the leading researchers in the field, provide an excellent sample of current research on spelling. some of the papers focus on spelling as a linguistic process, examining the phonological and morphological factors that make certain words easier or harder to spell than others. other papers treat spelling as a cognitive process, looking for example at the effects of task demands on performance. and still other papers view spelling as a developmental process, asking how children learn to spell and why some children experience more difficulty than others. together, the papers reveal the progress that has been made in our understanding of spelling.