Norms of vocabulary, reading, and spelling tests in French university students

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to provide the norms of widely used tests of vocabulary, reading, and spelling skills for a French population of young adults. Data were collected from 18- to 26-year-old university students during individual sessions. We assessed 771 participants with the Mill Hill part B vocabulary test, 410 with the LexTale-Fr test, 1231 with the Alouette-R test, and 361 with the Pollueur word/pseudoword dictation and text dictation. Stepwise regression analyses showed the need to stratify the reference population according to the level of education and gender for some tests. The Alouette-R and Mill Hill scores increased with educational level. Moreover, for the tests whose performance differed according to gender, women generally performed better than men. The present normative data concerning vocabulary, reading, and spelling skills should provide useful tools for researchers and practitioners alike to rate young individuals within their reference population.