title: Dialect variation and reading: is change in nonmainstream American English use related to reading achievement in first and second grades?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we examined (a) whether children who spoke Nonmainstream American English (NMAE) frequently in school at the beginning of 1st grade increased their use of Mainstream American English (MAE) through the end of 2nd grade, and whether increasing MAE use was associated with (b) language and reading skills and school context and (c) greater gains in reading skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal design was implemented with 49 children who spoke NMAE moderately to strongly. Spoken production of NMAE forms, word reading, and reading comprehension were measured at the beginning, middle, and end of 1st and 2nd grades. Various oral language skills were also measured at the beginning of 1st grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate that most children increased their MAE production during 1st grade and maintained these levels in 2nd grade. Increasing MAE use was predicted by children's expressive vocabulary and nonword repetition skills at the beginning of 1st grade. Finally, the more children increased their MAE production, the greater were their reading gains from 1st grade through 2nd grade.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings extend previous reports of a significant association between NMAE use and specific reading skills among young children and have implications for theory, educational practice, and future research.
authors.affiliation: Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. npterry@gsu.edu
authors.forename: Nicole Patton
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: Carol McDonald
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Yaacov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Petscher
authors.forename: Catherine Ross
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Conlin
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011932:Reading; D012931:Social Environment; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014825:Vocabulary