A survey comparing deaf children's home literacy interactions with deaf and hearing parents

Date

12/30/2005

Authors

Egbert, Lisalee

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Woman's University

Abstract

Parents play a role in the facilitation of language and learning with their children in terms of literacy (Morrow, 2001; Snow, 1999; Vygotsky, 1978; Chomsky, 1965; Heath, 1980). While no one aspect can be identified as the root, source, or cause of literacy, one important component of academic literacy is the language aspect promoting a baseline for reading and writing. The purpose of the present study was to compare the ways in which Deaf and hearing parents engage in literacy events with their Deaf children. Hearing Parents with Deaf children reported significantly greater use of non-print symbolic development and use of electronic text than Deaf parents with hearing children however Deaf parents with Deaf children fell in the middle of the two. Hearing Parents with Deaf children also reported significantly greater use of informational print and use of entertainment print specifically for the Deaf than Deaf parents with hearing children and Deaf parents with Deaf children. Hearing Parents with Deaf children and Deaf parents with Deaf children reported significantly greater use of book knowledge development than Deaf parents with hearing children. Hearing Parents with Deaf children reported significantly less use of print communication specifically for the Deaf than Deaf parents with Deaf children, however Deaf parents with hearing children fell in the middle of the two. Hearing Parents with Deaf children and Deaf parents with Deaf children reported significantly greater average use of all the literacy items than Deaf parents with hearing children. From the current data a repeated theme emerged- Deaf Culture. Not a general culture, but a Culture of uniqueness and beauty materialized in light of literacy development: a Culture full of value. The values, characteristics, heritage and history of the Deaf appear to be a key proponent of the academic literacy learning process that cannot be ignored. As there is a call for more research in the field of Bilingual Education (Gonzalez 1994) and a call for deeper understandings of Bilingual Education in conjunction with Deaf Education (Evan, 2004; Prinz, 1998; Swanwick, 2002 2005), the present research concurs and further reports a need for more research directly related to Deaf Education as a Bilingual model focusing on Culture.

Description

Keywords

Deaf children -- Education, Reading -- Parent participation, Parents of deaf children, Language arts

Citation