Literacy Development of the Deaf: Influence of Environmental Factors

Keywords

literacy development, deaf students

Abstract

Learning to read and write plays a significant role in children’s linguistic and cognitive development. The development of reading skills is a natural process in a home where literacy is emphasized and children are surrounded by print.1 However, the acquisition of literacy is not an easy task for all children because it requires complex coordination of various capabilities.2 Deaf people in particular face immense linguistic, social, and emotional obstacles in learning to read and write. (The term deaf is used in this report to denote both deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals). According to standardized reading assessments, most deaf high school graduates read at roughly a third or fourth grade level.3

Original Publication Citation

Harding, B. and Tanner, M. (1997, March). Literacy Development of the Deaf: Influence of Environmental Factors. Paper presented at the international TESOL convention, Orlando, FL.

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

1997-3

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/8697

Language

English

College

Humanities

Department

Linguistics

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS