A Multilingual Perspective on Spelling Development in Third and Fourth Grades
Author(s):
Tompkins, Gail E; Abramson, Shareen; Pritchard, Robert H
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Multicultural Education, Volume 6, Issue 3 (1999-04). pp. 18-Dec.
Language:
English
Abstract:
English spelling development in third- & fourth-grade nonnative-English-speaking children at two schools (low- vs high-income neighborhoods) was compared to that of native speakers in the same grades (total N = 60). The first languages represented by the nonnative English speakers included Spanish, Hmong, Lao, or Khmer. A literature-based approach was used, which required daily journal writing & encouraged invented spelling. Spelling data consisted of the first 300 words of the children's journal entries. Analysis involved categorizing errors & students according to J. R. Gentry's (eg, 1981) five-stage developmental model, ANOVA comparisons across & between language groups, & qualitative analysis of consonant & vowel errors. The native speakers of English were found to have no spelling advantage over English learners; students at the more affluent school scored much higher than the others. 2 Tables, 7 Figures, 25 References. E. Taylor