2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
3/19/2018 | 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM | The Role of Fingerspelling in the Early Communication, Language and Literacy Acquisition with Deaf Children | Agate A-C
The Role of Fingerspelling in the Early Communication, Language and Literacy Acquisition with Deaf Children
This dissertation study will examine the development and importance of fingerspelling among young Deaf children of Deaf parents for communication, learning about language, and pre-literacy in their natural home environment. The purpose of this study is to examine how Deaf parents use fingerspelling with their young Deaf children during communication, storybook reading, and a free writing activity. Important insights may be gleaned in discovering how young Deaf children learn about early language and literacy using visual inputs and outputs. The theoretical framework relies on Deaf epistemology, which focuses on differences rather than deficits when looking at Deaf individuals, in contrast to the traditional epistemology which sees Deaf individuals as needing to function in a hearing world. By seeking firsthand knowledge from the members of the Deaf community in what are effective pedagogical practices with Deaf children, this shared knowledge could promote the literacy levels and academic achievement in Deaf children. This qualitative study based on grounded theory and the method of constant comparison analysis will be used to investigate the two points of view; first it will focus on the traditional epistemological perspective of auditory phonological awareness and then fingerspelling and visual sign phonology as potential pathways to English literacy. Data will be collected through observations, parent interviews, and documents/artifacts. The expected conclusions from this study are to further understand the role of fingerspelling as how it may serve in fostering early language acquisition and how it may provide an important link between ASL and English.
- explain the importance of natural language acquisition at home and in the academic environment.
- discover how young Deaf and hard of hearing children learn about early language and literacy without sound.
- apply techniques and strategies using fingerspelling as a link between ASL and written English with young Deaf and hard of hearing children.
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Presenters/Authors
Heidi MacGlaughlin
(), Lamar University, hmacglaughli@lamar.edu;
Heidi M. MacGlaughlin is a faculty member of the Deaf Studies and Deaf Education Department at Lamar University. She received her doctoral degree from Lamar University in May 2018. Her research interests center on language and literacy among young Deaf children. Heidi also directs her research on the topics of research ethics within Deaf communities and social justice.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.