Black Dialect Interference and Accommodations of Reading Instruction in First Grade. Monograph ...

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DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 002 418
ED 119 113
Piestrup, Ann McCormick
AUTHOR
Black Dialect Interference and Accommodations of
TITLE
Reading Instruction in First Grade. Monograph No.
4.
California Univ., Berkeley. Language and Behavior
INSTITUTION
Research Lab.
National Inst. of Mental Health (DHEW), Bethesda,
SPONS AGENCY
Md.
Jul 73
PUB DATE
219p.; Some tables may reproduce poorly due to small
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Dialects; Elementary Education; Grade 1; Interference
DESCRIPTORS
(Language Learning);.*Negro Dialects; *Reading
Difficulty; *Reading-Instruction; *Teaching Styles;
Teaching Techniques
ABSTRACT
In order to investigate the effects of dialect
interference on learning to read and the ways teachers accommodate
reading instruction for first grade black children, observations and
tape recordings were made of reading instruction in fourteen
predominantly black classrooms, showing episodes of potential dialect
conflict and six teaching styles: vocabulary approach, decoding
approach, standard pronunciation approach, white liberal approach,
black artful approach, and interrupting approach. A dialect measure
was administered to 208 ,black children and reading test scores were
obtained, while teachers were placed in accommodation or interference
groups and in teaching' Style groups. The black artful group had
significantly higher reading scores than the interrupting and white
liberal groups, and significaUtly lower dialect scores than the
interrupting and vocabulary groups. There was a significant negative
correlation between dialect and reading scores for all groups. Black
artful teachers were high on task orientation and mutuality of
communication and interrupting teachers were low on both dimensions.
(Author/JM)
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Black Dialect interference and Accommodation of
Reading Instruction in First Grade
Ann McCormick Piestrup
Originally a dissertation submitted in partial
satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in Billication in the
Graduate Division of the
University of California, Berkeley
4';
7
BEST
Monographs of the Language-Behavior Research Laboratory
Y!
July 1973
Number Four
The Language - Behavior Research Laboratory is an interdisciplinary
research project at the University of California at Berkeley. It
ii supported by PHS Research Grant No. 1 RO1 MH 18188 from the
National Institute of Mental Health. This support is gratefully
acknowledged.
Monographs of the Language-Behavior Research Laboratory
maybe obtained at cost from the
University of California
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2224 Piedmont_Ayenue:
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ea
Copyright 0 1973
by
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3
Accommodation of Reading Instruction for First
Grade Children Who Speak Black Dialect
Abstract
Ann McCormick Piestrup
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of
dialect interference on learning to read and the ways teachers accommo-
date reading instruction for first grade Black children.
Two investigators observed and tape-recorded reading
instruction in fourteen predominantly Black classrooms. From tapes
and notes, episodes of potential dialect conflict were excerpted and
categorized, and six teaching styles defined: Vocabulary Approach,
Decoding Approach, Standard Pronunciation Approach, White Liberal
Approach, Black Artful Approach, and Interrupting Approach.
A sentence repetition task was administered as a dialect
Reading Test
measure to 208 Black children and Cooperative Primary
scores obtained from school records.
The two classroom observers placed teachers in accommoda-
Independent
tion or interference groups and in teaching style groups.
ratings agreed for all teachers.
Tests of homogeneity of regression showed no interaction be-
analysis of
tween Black dialect and reading scores for teacher groups. An
iii
4
variance showed that both reading and dialect scares differed for children
in classrooms grouped by teacher style.
The I3lack Artful group had
significantly higher reading scores than the Interrupting and White Liberal
.groups, and significantly lower dialect scores than the Interrupting and
'Vocabulary groups. There was a significant negative Lorrelation
between
dialect and reading scores for all groups.
From classroom observations, 104 episodes were drawn to
illustrate structural and functional conflict as well
as different teacher
styles.
Teachers in the Black Artful group used rhythmic play in
instruction and encouraged children to participate by listening to their
responses.
They attended to vocabulary differences of Black children and
seemed to prevent structural conflict by teaching children to listen for
standard English sound distinctions.
Children taught with this approach
participated enthusiastically with the teacher in learning to read.
In contrast, teachers in the Interrupting group asked children
to repeat words pronounced in dialect many times and interpreted dialect
pronunciations as reading errors.
Teachers in this group presented stand-
ard English sounds for discrimination without insuring accuracy of
responses.
Some children from this group tediously worked alone at decoding without
reading as if they understood, others seemed to guess at almost as
many
words as they were able to read. Some children withdrew from participa-
tion in reading, speaking softly and as seldom as possible, others engaged
in ritual insult and other forms of verbal play apart from the teacher. For
iv
children taught by Interrupting teachers, reading scores were lower and
dialect scroes higher than for the Black Artful group.
White Liberal teachers occasionally used dialect intonation
and phonology during instruction and accepted dialect forms in children's
writing and speech. They gave auditory discrimination training without
They seemed to emphasize
presenting dialect homonyms out of context.
friendly communication more than the task .4 learning to read, reading
scores were significantly lower for this group than for the Black Artful
group.
The Standard Pronunciation Emphasis teachers insisted on
Dting considerable time to changing language
formal standard usage, dt.
Reading and dialect scores were not signifi-
patterns during instruction.
cantly different from other groups. This approach was more effective
with children who did not use much dialect than with children who used a
great deal.
Vocabulary Approach teachers explained meanings of unfamiliar
words, especially clarifying distinctions between the meanings of dialect
homonyms. Children in this group had significantly higher dialect scores
than the Black Artful group.
Decoding Approach teachers emphasized sound-symbol corres-
pondenLe, giving special attention to ending sounds and medial vowels.
They accepted flat, choppy reading. Children consistently attempted to
sound out words but seemed to decode without comprehension.
Two dimensions were used to contrast the six teaching sytles:
task orientation, imohing children directly in reading and (2) mutu-
(1)
ality of communication v.ith teachers and children sharing purpose and
meaning in communication.
The Black Artful teachers were high on both of these dimen-
sions and the Interrupting teachers low on both.
vi
7
Acknowledgements
The mombers of my dissortation committoo,
Paul R. Ammon, tho chairman, John J. Gumperz and
Herbert D. Simons, havo takon time so often to provide
different perspoctives, to make practical suggestions,
and to offer encouragoment; I will miss tho challonge
I am deeply
of meeting with them about this study.
grateful to them and to my earlier advisors, Eli M.
Dower and Rosemarie McCartin.
The children, teachers and principals of the
schools in tho study wore most friendly and cooperativo.
I would espocially like to thank Mary Heckman and
Harold Garden for helping arrange the participation
of tho schools in the study.
Lynn Jones both observod in classrooms and
offored astuto comments to help rofine tho obsorva-
Fred Dagonais and Leonard Marascuillo
tion guido.
generously helped by answoriog quostions about the
Diane McCormick and Kendra
statistical analysis.
Frances
Dovsamin roviowed parts of tho manuscript.
Wilcox' tochnical oxpertise in proparing the disserta-
tion was also invaluable.
To all of them, and porhaps most of all to my
husband, Mol, and my paronts I would liko to express
my warmest thanks.
vii
8
Table of Contents
Page
Abstract
A cknowledgements
vii
List oi" Tables
ix
List ol Figures
xii
Chapter
Reading Failure and Dialect: Their
I
Relation to Instruction
1
Nlethoti
26
11
Descriptive and Quantitative Results
III
52
Discuss ion
IV
134
Conclusions
169
Refers noes
172
Appendices
176
Features of Black Dialect
A
176
Sentence Repetition Task
179
13
Classroom Episodes Illustrating Accommo-
C
dation of Reading Instruction and Dialect
Interference
180
Auxiliary Tables
D
186
Classification of Interference Episodes
195
Episode Categories and Teaching Styles
F
196
viii
9
List, of Tables
Pogo
Table
Moan Porcent of
Proliminary Study:
Dialoct Used from Total Speech Output
of First Gradors from Four Roading
46
Groups in Four Spooch Contoxts
Accommoda-
Summary of Toacher Ratings:
tion and Intorforonco Groups
75
Corrospondonco of Episodes and Toachor
Ratings on Accommodation and
Intorforonco
77
Analysis of Variance for Parallolism of
1
Accommodation and Intor-
Rogrossion:
terenco Groups
78
Analysis of Varianco for Multiplo
5
flooding and Dialect
Linear Regression:
Scoros of Accommodation Group
187
Analysis of Varianco for Multiplo
Roading and Dialoct
Linoar Rogrossion:
Scores of Intorforonco Group
188
Analysis or Variance for Roading Groups:
7
Accommodation and Intorforonco Groups
-80
Analysis of Varianco for Dialoct
8
Accommodation and Intorforonce
Scores:
81
Groups
Analysis of Varianco for Parallolism of
Six Toaching Stylo4
Regression:
122
Analysis of Variance for Multiple
In
Reading and Dialect
Linear Regression:
Scores for Toachor Style, Group 1
(Vocabulary Emphasis)
189
Analysis of Varianco for Multiplo
VI
Reading and Dialoct
Linear Regression:
Scores for Toachor Stylo, Group 2
(Decoding Emphasis)
190
ix
10