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Vowel representations in the invented spellings of Spanish–English bilingual kindergartners

Reading and Writing volume 26, pages 647–664 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

The study compared the invented spelling of vowels in kindergarten native Spanish speaking children with that of English monolinguals. It examined whether, after receiving phonics instruction for short vowels, the spelling of native Spanish-speaking kindergartners would contain phonological errors that were influenced by their first language. Results showed no differences between the two groups on the number of correct short vowel spellings, even though the sounds for four of the five English short vowels do not exist in Spanish. By contrast, differences were observed in the representation of long vowels with a higher rate of error among ELLs. The students had not received explicit instruction in long vowels. ELLs appeared to be trying to represent the diphthongized nature of some English long vowels by spelling long vowels with more than one vowel. The results support the authors’ hypothesis that kindergarten phonics instruction had an impact on the invented spellings of new second language vowel phonemes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education and Reading, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven, CT, 06515-1355, USA

    Laura B. Raynolds

  2. Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA

    Laura B. Raynolds

  3. Curriculum and Teaching, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA

    Joanna K. Uhry & Jessica Brunner

Authors
  1. Laura B. Raynolds
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  2. Joanna K. Uhry
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  3. Jessica Brunner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura B. Raynolds.

Appendix: Spelling measure

Appendix: Spelling measure

 

 

1. Thick

15. Back

2. Cute

16. Feet

3. Shine

17. Step

4. Ball

18. Junk

5. Then

19. Picking

6. Rushed

20. Mail

7. Took

21. Side

8. Shopping

22. Chin

9. Saw

23. Dress

10. Tooth

24. Peeked

11. Brave

25. Lamp

12. Bug

26. Road

13. Vote

 

14. Job

 

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Raynolds, L.B., Uhry, J.K. & Brunner, J. Vowel representations in the invented spellings of Spanish–English bilingual kindergartners. Read Writ 26, 647–664 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9380-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9380-9

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