Abstract
This study examined the relationship between nonmainstream American English (NMAE) dialect use and various emergent literacy skills among typically developing children in prekindergarten. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between children’s production of NMAE forms (i.e., dialect variation [DVAR]) and their alphabet knowledge, name writing, print concepts, and phonological awareness. The sample of 4-year-olds was diverse: 57.6% were African American and 33.3% participated in free and reduced lunch programs. Moderate, negative significant correlations were found between DVAR and all measures, except name writing. However, with the exception of nursery rhyme awareness, DVAR did not independently contribute to children’s performance when it was entered into regression models with related emergent literacy skills as predictor variables. The results suggest an indirect role for NMAE use in emergent literacy achievement and that frequency of spoken NMAE production may be secondary to children’s metalinguistic skills.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
