Phonetic-phonological characteristics of the syllable in orthographic transpositions in children's writing of cycle I elementary school

Author(s)

Mirian Verza Amarante

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Marília. 2022-11-07.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências. Marília
• Defense date: 2022-08-12
• Advisor: Lourenço Chacon

Abstract

Many studies try to describe children's spelling performance by analyzing spelling errors and their typologies (omissions, transpositions, substitutions) present in children's writing. However, most of these studies, in addition to seeing spelling errors as symptoms or delays in the literacy journey, place the different types of errors on the same level of complexity. However, we assume a gradient in the relationship between successes and errors and also a gradient within each type of error, as proposed by Chacon and Pezarini (2018), which leads to problematizing the tendency in the literature to see them on the same plane. Thus, we carried out a cross-sectional study of the characteristics of a specific type of error: orthographic transposition. Particularly, we investigated how the phonetic-phonological characteristics of the syllable would allow a better understanding of the syllabic adjustments that grapheme displacements would provoke within the syllable. To do so, we analyzed 63 textual productions by children from Cycle I of Elementary School. First, we quantified the presence of transpositions, verifying their distribution in: single and double intersyllabic transpositions; and single and double intrasyllabic transpositions. Then, we observed the syllabic adjustments resulting from the movement of transpositions, in order to understand whether the phenomenon would cause the maintenance, increase or reduction of syllabic complexity. As a result, we observed that 43.6% of the transposition records were of the simple intrasyllabic type; followed by double intrasyllabic (22.7%), single intersyllabic (19.2%) and double intersyllabic (14.5%). Regarding the syllabic adjustments, we observed that the transpositions involved, mostly, complex syllables, but that the functioning of the types of transposition was different inside the syllable: the intersyllabic ones tended to maintain the syllabic complexity, while the intrasyllabic ones tended to increase the syllable complexity. The results therefore showed: (1) a sample of writing already quite inclined towards orthographic conventions; (2) an internal gradient of the transpositions in relation to the hit; and (3) a different functioning between transpositions in syllabic structures. We hope that the present work will bring contributions to a better understanding of the phonetic-phonological bases of orthography, as well as to the development of pedagogical and clinical practices with children's writing. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/05114-8 - Phonetic-phonological characteristics of the syllable in orthographic transpositions in elementary school
• Grantee: Mirian Verza Amarante
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master