Annotated Reviews of Research. 1975: Black English, Spelling and Literature

Black English

Question: How do Black parents feel about their children’s use of Black English?

Answer: “Finds that Black parents interviewed accept Africanized English in the listening and speaking channels, but not in the reading and writing channels; accept Africanized English in informal settings, but seldom in formal settings; accept Africanized English in home and some community contexts, but generally not in schools.” MER Hoover, 1975, p. 83.

Comment: I’m not surprised by the Black parents’ attitudes toward Africanized English. Standard English is one’s ticket into polite society and academic success. RayS.

Spelling

Question: How should teachers introduce new spelling words?

Answer: “Results showed that attempting to spell words before viewing them facilitated acquisition of the  words.” P Blumberg and KK Block, 1975, p. 84.

Comment: Should be true for words able to be sounded out. Should not be true for words or parts of words that can’t be sounded out. I think it’s an interesting technique for introducing new spelling words. I would use it. But being able to visualize the spelling will be important for remembering how to spell parts of words that are difficult to spell. RayS.

Literature

Question: How can we measure students’ response to literature?

Answer: “Reports on an attempt to use heart beat as an indicator of the reader’s response to literature during the course of reading.” M Angliotti, et al., 1975, p. 88.

Comment: Why didn’t I think of this? Doesn’t say what the results were. RayS.

Title: “Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English July 1, 1975 to December 31, 1975.” Daniel J. Dietrich. Research in the Teaching of English (Spring 1976), 83-98.