Exploring the Relationship Between Dialect and Spelling for Specific Vocalic Features in Appalachian First-Grade Children
Abstract This study explored the relationship between dialect and spelling for specific vocalic elements in single-syllable words among Appalachian dialect-speaking first-grade children. Participants' spellings and pronunciations of 28 single-syllable words representing seven vowel categories were compared over an 8-months period of time. Spellings were analyzed to observe change in spelling development over time, and pronunciations were analyzed to observe changes in pronunciations over time. Results show that certain vowel categories (and specific target words) appeared to be more susceptible to changes in pronunciation than other vowel categories (and specific other target words). Results also show that some participants' pronunciations of specific target words changed over time as participants grew in spelling knowledge.