ABSTRACT
In studies of the development of literacy competence in children speaking different languages, two basic organizational principles are emerging: the minimum quantity principle and the internal variety principle (Ferreiro & Teberosky, 1982; Pontecorvo & Zucchermaglio, 1988, 1990). These two principles mark an important step in the process of written language construction: They allow the child to judge whether or not writing is readable (and understandable). According to the minimum quantity principle, a written word is a set of ordinal parts (letters) that must equal a certain number (normally this number is three). According to the internal variety principle, a written word is a set of different parts (letters) and cannot include the same letter more than once. This latter principle can be understood in two different ways:
Strictly interpreted, a letter repetition is impossible.
Loosely interpreted, a letter repetition could be accepted sometimes, but only if the two letters are not in adjacent positions.
